Join Junior Specialist Matthew Yeats as he shared a few of the exciting Design exhibitions happening around the globe in Summer 2023...
Trying to decide on which exhibitions to see over the coming summer months? Take a look at those that the Design department at Lyon & Turnbull are particularly excited about! With exhibitions ranging from spotlight shows on designers from John Henry Dearle to Barbara Hepworth to Ai Weiwei, this selection of shows engages with Design on an aesthetic, political, and sociological level and will surely be a treat for any visitor.
Towner Gallery, Eastbourne. Barbara Hepworth: Art and Life.
27 May to 3 September.
This exhibition, which has garnered rave reviews across the country after visits to Wakefield, Edinburgh and St Ives, will display some of Hepworth’s most celebrated sculptures including the modern abstract carving that launched her career in the 1920s and 1930s, her iconic strung sculptures of the 1940s and 1950s, and large-scale bronze and carved sculptures from later in her career.
V&A Dundee, Dundee. OSPAAAL: Solidarity and Design.
Until 27 August.
Explore the colourful imagery that the Organization of Solidarity with the People of Asia, Africa, and Latin America (OSPAAAL) from Cuba used to promote anti-imperialist and revolutionary movements in the Global South.
Kettle’s Yard, Cambridge. Material Power: Palestinian Embroidery.
8 July to 29 October.
Material Power: Palestinian Embroidery explores the historical life and contemporary significance of Palestinian embroidery. This ancient and beautiful practice remains an important living tradition and the most prominent cultural material of Palestine today.
William Morris Society, London. Morris’s Successor: John Henry Dearle.
Until 17 December.
The Society is excited to announce the first exhibition focusing solely on the work of John Henry Dearle (1859-1932), Morris’s apprentice and successor in the role of Artistic Director at Morris & Co. A talented artist, pivotal to the success of Morris & Co, Dearle is still a neglected figure often lost in the shadow of his mentor Morris.
Design Museum, London. Ai Weiwei: Making Sense.
Until 30 July.
This major exhibition, developed in collaboration with Ai Weiwei himself, is the first to present his work as a commentary on design and what it reveals about our changing values. The show mixes recent works with commissioned pieces, inviting us into a meditation on value and humanity, art and activism.
Oxford Ceramics Gallery, Oxford. Handbuilt.
8 July to 26 August.
An exhibition of contemporary ceramic makers including Halima Cassell, Gordon Baldwin, and Alison Britton.
Cooper Hewitt, New York. Designing Peace.
Until 6 August.
Designing Peace explores the unique role design can play in pursuing peace. The exhibition features design projects from around the world that look at ways to create and sustain more durable peaceful interactions—from creative confrontations that challenge existing structures to designs that demand embracing justice and truth in a search for reconciliation.
Musée Lalique, Wingen-sur-Moder. A Hundred Years of Lalique in Alsace.
18 June to 6 November.
The Lalique Museum’s summer 2022 exhibition will look back over Lalique’s 100 year history at Wingen-sur-Moder, focusing not only on creation and techniques, but also as a tribute to the glass makers, glass cutters, potters, quality controllers, gas workers, directors and other specialists who have all played their part in this fabulous story.
