{"id":11497,"date":"2016-08-16T09:06:45","date_gmt":"2016-08-16T09:06:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fiualumni.com\/?p=11497"},"modified":"2018-05-09T14:03:21","modified_gmt":"2018-05-09T14:03:21","slug":"design-ingenuity-from-the-netherlands-to-grace-the-wolfsonian-fiu","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fiualumni.com\/stay-connected\/alumni-news\/newsroom\/index.php\/2016\/08\/16\/design-ingenuity-from-the-netherlands-to-grace-the-wolfsonian-fiu\/","title":{"rendered":"Design Ingenuity from the Netherlands to Grace the Wolfsonian\u2013FIU"},"content":{"rendered":"

In Fall 2016, The Wolfsonian\u2013Florida International University will debut Modern Dutch Design<\/i>, an examination of innovative design from the Netherlands between 1890 and 1940. On view November 18, 2016 through June 11, 2017, the exhibition traces how Dutch designers, architects, and artists evolved in the modern age\u2014cementing their country\u2019s reputation as a center for cutting-edge design\u2014and follows the development of unique styles and movements including Nieuwe Kunst, the Amsterdam School, and De Stijl. Over 200 works ranging from furniture and metalwork to posters and drawings will reveal how these pioneers responded to radical shifts in social and political life, promoted international travel and trade, and found inspiration from the cultures of the Dutch colonies overseas.<\/span><\/p>\n

In tandem with Modern Dutch Design<\/i>, The Hague-based contemporary artist Christie van der Haak will activate the exterior of The Wolfsonian\u2019s iconic Mediterranean Revival-style building by wrapping sections with her signature, tapestry-inspired patterns. Van der Haak\u2019s bright, intricate ornamentation will visually announce Modern Dutch Design<\/i> to passersby in South Beach, bring the legacy of Dutch design shown in the galleries into full public view, and bridge the exhibition\u2019s historic focus into the now. Funded by generous support from the Mondriaan Fund, Creative Industries Fund NL, and the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, the installation promises to be among the largest public art experiences on Miami Beach during Miami Art Week 2016\u2014spanning three levels on two sides of the fa\u00e7ade, and reaching a height of more than sixty feet above street level. Nightly wall projections on the museum\u2019s north face will also expand on this exciting encounter with contemporary Dutch design.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDuring these decades, Dutch design shows a constant tension between structure and decoration,\u201d said Wolfsonian curator Silvia Barisione, who organized the exhibition. \u201cTogether with an emphasis on geometry, this tension reaches its purest form in the plain and abstract language of De Stijl, the avant-garde movement that had such a major impact on postwar and contemporary designers. We\u2019re thrilled to be mining the riches of The Wolfsonian\u2019s collection to illustrate this trajectory to the public with some of the greatest examples of Dutch design in the U.S.\u201d<\/span>
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\n\u201cWhen I saw the tiered fa\u00e7ade of The Wolfsonian, I was over the moon,\u201d explained van der Haak. \u201cIt is the perfect canvas for my work, which consists of patterns and the interweaving of different patterns. By changing patterning by floor, my project will trigger associations with design from various cultures and ages, mirroring the exhibition inside.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cEvery December during Art Basel Miami Beach and DesignMiami\/, the latest, trendsetting designs are presented to the world. We could not ask for better timing to present Christie\u2019s project alongside our unparalleled Dutch collection,\u201d said Tim Rodgers, Wolfsonian director. \u201cThe synergy between our exhibition of modern Dutch design and Christie\u2019s transformation of the museum\u2019s fa\u00e7ade will highlight the significant contributions Dutch designers and artists have made both in the past and in the present. Without a doubt, these presentations will be the talk of the design community during Miami Art Week.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Showcasing selections from The Wolfsonian\u2019s world-renowned collection of Dutch decorative arts and works on paper in addition to loans from the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston and the Kirkland Museum of Fine & Decorative Art, Modern Dutch Design<\/i> will provide a basic chronology of \u201cDutch style\u201d during its most influential period. After beginning with Nieuwe Kunst\u2019s flat, geometric, stylized motifs adapted from batik from the Dutch East Indies, the exhibition then explores two rival avant-garde stylistic movements: The Amsterdam School (with more ornate, sculptural elements) and De Stijl (featuring a minimalist palette of primary colors), which opened the way to Nieuwe Bouwen (New Building), the Dutch branch of Functionalism. From low-income housing plans to luxurious ocean liners and Bensdorp chocolate ads, Modern Dutch Design <\/i>reflects design\u2019s mark on all aspects of Dutch life in this time\u2014the public, private, and commercial spheres alike.<\/span><\/p>\n

Key works include:<\/span><\/p>\n