Konstantin Grcic. Black²
"Black²" is an exhibition invented and designed by the German designer, Konstantin Grcic, one of the most important representatives of this profession in the world.
Grcic analyzes the presence of the “black square” – a motif perpetually recurring in contemporary design – in objects of everyday use. The objects presented in the exhibition put together a history of 20th century industrial design, from the most prestigious and iconic artifacts to the most popular ones. Among them are an Apple iPhone and iPad, a Chanel bag, Marshall speakers and BASF cassettes, which are the first plastic mass produced black squares and were a source of inspiration for designers of other black and square data storage media carriers – from the floppy disk drive to the computer hard disk drive.
It is not the artist’s intention for "Black²" to create a methodology for the history of design. What it offers though is a subjective and ironic story about how an exhibition can end up being a tool and catalyst for such statements. Grcic shows a collection of objects which tell the history of the 20th century, a century full of diverse clues created from thematically uniform combinations or from unexpected cross-combinations. Industrial design, with its immense complexity consisting of individual skill, social utopia and scientific research, is capable of constructing narratives about history, taste, ideas, utopia, everyday life and the amazing spirit of the entire era.
Konstantin Gric, born in 1965 in Munich, was given the Design Miami's title of the best designer of the year 2010; he also won the Wallpaper Design Award in the Furniture, among many other acclaims. His minimalistic works are a fascinating combination of austerity and humour. Gric's pieces are presented at the most renowned international exhibitions, such as the Museum of Modern Art in New York and the Pompidou Center in Paris. "Black²" was originally conceived for Istituto Svizzero di Roma.
