Design and the Elastic Mind

Design and the Elastic Mind February 24–May 12, 2008 The International Council of The Museum of Modern Art Exhibition Gallery, sixth floor In the past few decades, individuals have experienced dramatic changes in some of the most established dimensions of human life: time, space, matter, and individuality. Working across several time zones, traveling with relative ease between satellite maps and nanoscale images, gleefully drowning in information, acting fast in order to preserve some slow downtime, people cope daily with dozens of changes in scale. Minds adapt and acquire enough elasticity to be able to synthesize such abundance. One of design's most fundamental tasks is to stand between revolutions and life, and to help people deal with change. Designers have coped with these displacements by contributing thoughtful concepts that can provide guidance and ease as science and technology evolve. Several of them—the Mosaic graphic user's interface for the Internet, for instance—have truly changed the world. Design and the Elastic Mind is a survey of the latest developments in the field. It focuses on designers' ability to grasp momentous changes in technology, science, and social mores, changes that will demand or reflect major adjustments in human behavior, and convert them into objects and systems that people understand and use. The exhibition will highlight examples of successful translation of disruptive innovation, examples based on ongoing research, as well as reflections on the future responsibilities of design. Of particular interest will be the exploration of the relationship between design and science and the approach to scale. The exhibition will include objects, projects, and concepts offered by teams of designers, scientists, and engineers from all over the world, ranging from the nanoscale to the cosmological scale. The objects range from nanodevices to vehicles, from appliances to interfaces, and from pragmatic solutions for everyday use to provocative ideas meant to influence our future choices. The exhibition will be accompanied by a fully illustrated catalogue. Organized by Paola Antonelli, Curator, and Patricia Juncosa Vecchierini, Curatorial Assistant, Department of Architecture and Design. The exhibition is supported by NTT DoCoMo, Inc. and Patricia Phelps de Cisneros. Additional funding is provided by The Contemporary Arts Council of The Museum of Modern Art. Upcoming related events: Wednesday, February 20, 2008 10:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m. Members Events | Members Previews Design and the Elastic Mind Thursday, February 21, 2008 10:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m. Members Events | Members Previews Design and the Elastic Mind Friday, February 22, 2008 10:30 a.m.–8:00 p.m. Members Events | Members Previews Design and the Elastic Mind Saturday, February 23, 2008 10:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m. Members Events | Members Previews Design and the Elastic Mind Saturday, March 1, 2008 10:30 a.m. Family Programs | Tours for Tweens Design and the Elastic Mind Sold out Sunday, March 2, 2008 10:30 a.m. Family Programs | Tours for Tweens Design and the Elastic Mind Sold out Saturday, March 8, 2008 10:30 a.m. Family Programs | Tours for Tweens Design and the Elastic Mind Sold out Monday, April 7, 2008 12:30 p.m. Lectures & Gallery Talks | Brown Bag Lunch Lectures Design and the Elastic Mind Thursday, April 10, 2008 12:30 p.m. Lectures & Gallery Talks | Brown Bag Lunch Lectures Design and the Elastic Mind Young Hyun, Cooperative Association for Internet Data Analysis, San Diego Supercomputer Center, University of California, San Diego. Walrus graph visualization tool (detail). 2001–02. Java and Java3D software. Image by Young Hyun and Bradley Huffaker Susana Soares. Face Object from BEE'S project (prototype). 2007. Blown handmade glass, 14 1/8 x 97/8" diam. (36 x 25 cm diam.). Prototype by Crisform, Portugal, 2007. Collection of Susana Soares. Image by Susana Soares via MOMA