The Philadelphia Museum of Art presents the first US solo exhibition devoted to the work of Patricia Urquiola

News Infurma27/11/2017

From November 19, 2017 to March 4, 2018, the Philadelphia Museum of Art welcomes Patricia Urquiola: Between Craft and Industry, the first solo exhibition devoted to the work of this internationally acclaimed Spanish designer based in Milan. The exhibition showcases her versatility in creating products, interiors, and architectural spaces. On November 18, Urquiola was honored with the Design Excellence Award by Collab, the Museum's affiliate group for modern and contemporary design.

Photo by Marco Craig

Curious and energetic by nature, Urquiola moves with ease between product design, interior design, and architecture—whether designing handbags that convert into stools for Louis Vuitton, dinnerware for Rosenthal, or the recently opened Il Sereno hotel on the shore of Lake Como in Italy.

Urquiola's work often fuses traditional modes of production with modern design. Her “Fjord” armchair is a rethinking of a mid-twentieth-century Nordic chair, just as the “Landscape” tea set manufactured by Rosenthal is a new spin on a traditional object. Her colorful rugs that she designed in Spain are woven in workshops in India. She brings the handmade aspect of the classic rattan chair of the Philippines to her “Crinoline” chair design.

Photo courtesy of Philadelphia Museum of Art, 2017. Photo by Joseph Hu

“Urquiola is part of a new generation of designers who take a humanistic approach to their work,” said Donna Corbin, The Louis C. Madeira IV Associate Curator of European Decorative Art. “She is known for exploring the possibilities of the artisanal through new technologies, to achieve something that feels familiar and evokes a sense of comfort.”

Among her most recent work on view is “Openest,” an innovative office system that is emblematic of her interest in prioritizing comfort. It was designed for Haworth offices in Michigan and was named “Best of” in the NeoCon Competition in 2014. Also featured in the form of photographs will be a number of Urquiola's architectural commissions, including the award-winning 2005 Ideal House project, shown at the IMM Cologne international furnishings show in Germany, and the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Barcelona, Spain.

Photo courtesy of Philadelphia Museum of Art, 2017. Photo by Joseph Hu

The exhibition can be seen from November 19, 2017 to March 4, 2018 at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. To visit the exhibition, you can find more information here.

Photo courtesy of Philadelphia Museum of Art, 2017. Photo by Joseph Hu

Source: Philadelphia Museum of Art

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