This exhibition travelled all the way from Germany and was inaugurated on the afternoon of 4th April, and displays products from all over Europe. As the name suggests, New Olds is all about products that bridge the gaps of time, and bring to us a novel melange of traditions, classics with newfound aesthetics and technology.
Those lucky few students who were at the inauguration ceremony were toured through the exhibition and were told the concept and thought process behind every product by Prof. Volker Albus - Designer, Curator, Karlsruhe University of Arts and Design/Product Design.
The exhibit featured modern takes of contemporary designers on paradigmatic products like the Eames chair, or the classic wooden furniture like wardrobes and chairs. This involved an interesting intervention of modern materials into these trend-setting products. Their sense of tradition was as strong as the avant-garde use of materials. Along with the old products, there were also a number of modern products like the stackable plastic chairs made in wood. The exhibition had an otherworldly timeless feel to it. I’m sure the products – so close to us, yet so nicely tweaked – have stamped their identity and inspired minds.
The exhibition took us through a caravan of classic products from all around Europe. It surely taught us about the emotional potential of products and the ideas and feelings inanimate products can induce in humans. Professor Albus left the crowd stimulated with his concluding statement – What about India? For a country that has such affluent historical and cultural heritage, shouldn’t we – the young designers of India - inculcate those values through our designs? Something to think about, I’m sure!