Designated Design: A collection of national importance

Last week MoDiP opened its latest exhibition, Designated Design: A collection of national importance. It celebrates the wonderful accolade we received earlier this year when Arts Council England awarded the museum Designated Outstanding Collection status. The exhibition is based upon themes taken from the original application we put forward, such as considering the scope and scale of the collection and its research potential. We have spent several months working with colleagues from within the AUB’s External Engagement team planning layouts, acquiring display furniture and designing the space etc. so this has truly been a collaborative effort.

Image credit: elizanaden_photography

The image above shows the exhibition curators, Professor Susan Lambert (left) and Dr Louise Dennis (right), standing in front of a mind map illustrated by commissioned artist Bridie Cheeseman. It is a great way of visually representing the work of the museum and takes up the central wall in the lower gallery.

Also to be found in this area are examples of the MoDiP Student Creative project, run each year as a bursary awarded opportunity for AUB students to produce an output inspired by the museum and/or its objects, as well as three examples of projects undertaken by external artists, who have each interpreted the collection in a different way.

Image credit: elizanaden_photography

The main area of the upper gallery features some of MoDiP’s large objects as well as a variety of plastics design classics (refer image below). We were able to re-configure some frames acquired for a previous exhibition within which we have placed objects on open display. It was quite tricky stabilising the Pinarello road bike (refer image below), despite the fact that it has a carbon fibre frame so is incredibly lightweight. We were very grateful to receive assistance from two of our colleagues in AUB Modelmaking – big thanks to Paul Johnson for helping me to hold the bike whilst Louise secured it, and to Gideon Bohannon for pumping up the tyres!

Image credit: elizanaden_photography

We have included some handling collection objects to demonstrate the plastics materials most frequently encountered within museum collections. Visitors are encouraged to pick these up to feel the differences, with some great examples of fake fur, inflatable PVC and bakelite. Once the exhibition closes, we will develop this learning resource into another MoDiP grab box, which will be available for loan to groups interested in finding out more about this amazing material family.

Image credit: elizanaden_photography

The past few weeks, as deadlines were looming, have seen a flurry of activity (refer image below) with the team also having to endure Covid and heavy colds at the same time! But we got there in the end! 

Image credit: MoDiP and TheGallery

Designated Design: A collection of national importance, will be on display in TheGallery until 22^nd December 2022.

Katherine Pell
Collections Officer