New Olds at Israeli Design Museum
There's an interesting new museum in Israel, just south of Tel Aviv, with a corkscrewing exterior of rust-red Cor-Ten steel: Design Museum Holon, designed by Ron Arad. Their forthcoming exhibition is especially compelling. "New Olds: Design Between Tradition and Innovation" will run May 26 through September 10, curated by Volker Albus in collaboration with the Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen. The wide-ranging show spotlights works by over sixty Israeli and international designers who straddle tradition and innovation, drawing inspiration from historical references and symbols ranging from cuckoo clocks and deer antlers to traditional porcelain and Baroque objects. Maarten Baas, for example, has reinterpreted the mundane white plastic garden chair, melding it with a hand-carved wooden chair; Frank Willems bends and twists mattresses to form chairs and stools. If you happen to be in Israel over the next few months, check it out—especially if you can visit during one of the accompanying lectures, given by international designers and 18 up-and-coming and established Israeli designers. Here's a peek at what's on view, along with some commentary on each piece by Albus and Galit Gaon, the chief curator of the museum.