Plain or Fancy
The Met; New York, USA
26 February to 18 August
The Met looks to the rise of Modernism, with an exhibition exploring the conflict between function and ornamentation in the decorative arts. Adopting a perspective that stretches back to the 16th century, the Met's exhibition displays rich, baroque works alongside pieces of functional, restrained products. Presenting a preference for either of the two divergent styles as a matter of personal choice, the exhibition aims to undermine Alfred Loos' famous declaration of ornamentation as "degenerate".
Paris Fashion Week
Various Locations; Paris, France
26 February to 6 March
The latest Paris Fashion Week is not without its talking points. Alexander Wang debuts as the creative director of Balenciaga in place of Nicolas Ghesquière, while Hedi Slimane and Raf Simons present their second ready-to-wear womenswear collections for Saint Laurent and Dior respectively. Of particular interest will be seeing how the more commercially minded Wang succeeds the forward thinking and critically acclaimed Ghesquière.
Applied Design
MoMA; New York, USA
1 March to 31 January 2014
MoMA's new exhibition challenges preconceptions of design as a primarily aesthetic discipline. Drawing together works such as Massoud Hassani's landmine clearing Mine Kafon and Markus Kayser's Solar Sinter, a device to transform desert sand into glassware using the power of the sun, Applied Design presents its subject matter as a force for technological and social reform. The exhibition also shows computer games such as Pacman, signalling the beginning of a new branch of the MoMA's permanent collection.
