In the second part of the exhibition “Victor Papanek: The Politics of Design” you get to know Papanek better. Here you will find the exhibition text.
Victor Papanek’s life and work not only illustrate his development as a designer and educator, but also lend themselves to telling the story of twentieth-century design. The breaks in Papanek’s biography coincide with the key historical events of his time and their resonance within the design scene. He escaped from Nazi-annexed Vienna to New York in 1939, where a future-oriented World’s Fair would soon open his eyes to a completely different world. By 1946, he establishes his first business, Design Clinic, focused on creating inexpensive contemporary furniture for post-war consumers. During this period, Papanek is heavily influenced by modernist design greats, such as US architect Frank Lloyd Wright, as well as less conventional figures like architect and writer, and fellow émigré, Bernard Rudofksy.
Papanek’s work became increasingly political over the course of the 1960s, and other designers in Europe began to question their profession too. Finally, in 1970, the book that would rapidly make Papanek famous was published: Design for the Real World. The large central table in this room is devoted to this controversial volume. Originally published in Swedish, a US edition appeared in 1971; since then, the book has been translated into over 20 languages.
To this day, Design for the Real World is considered a pioneering work for socially and ecologically sustainable design. Its original success, however, relates to the fact that it gave the countercultures in design a voice for the first time and summarized their concerns in a pointed and accessible way.
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Introduction (from the exhibition)
The exhibition ‘Victor Papanek: The Politics of Design’ starts with a short introduction about Victor Papanek and his ideas. Here you will find the exhibition text.
Creative connections (from the exhibition)
The first part of the exhibition ‘Victor Papanek: The Politics of Design’ shows the influences and creative interactions in the life and work of Papanek. Here you will find the exhibition text.
Is anyone here normal? (from the exhibition)
Papanek inspired many generations of designers. The third part of the exhibition “Victor Papanek: The Politics of Design” shows their work on the theme of ‘minorities’. Here you will find the exhibition text.
The bigger picture (from the exhibition)
The last part of the exhibition “Victor Papanek: The Politics of Design” shows how contemporary designers relate to the themes of Papanek. Here you will find the exhibition text.
