CHINA DESIGN NOW
Last Sunday a few of us braved the sub freezing temperatures to check out the China Design Now exhibition at the Portland Art Museum. The exhibition gave a captivating view into how the massive economic and cultural changes of the past 20 years have created an environment ready and moving to create world-class design.
China has been a country known for producing inexpensive goods, sometimes based on borrowed — or stolen, depending upon how you see it — design. The very notion of ownership was contrary to the communist ethos, so how could one own a design? The concept of intellectual property was foreign. Artists, graphic designers, and architects worked for the state until very recently.
The emergence of a powerful economy brings with it many things, in particular, the luxurious opportunity for citizens to choose what they buy — and thus the demand grows for more varied and considered products as people begin to live the lifestyle of their choosing. But this transition is about more than just economics. The transition from a collective mentality under communism to a individualistic one where personal freedoms and expression are allowed presents an environment ready for rich growth.
In the fashion and lifestyle area of the exhibition, a pair of red satin Nikes with gold swooshes exemplified a noticeable theme: a new aesthetic that reinterprets traditional Chinese design in the context of global youth culture. A series of 'toy' panda sculptures look like overgrown vinyl toys. The adorable old panda now has an attitude.
The exhibition was at once humbling and overwhelming. With its complex class system, sheer scale, and fast-paced growth, is it possible that left unchecked "design sprawl" could occur? As the government in Beijing clamors for the latest starchitect monuments, each more fantastic and novel than the last, are these buildings trophies of the new world? or a considered, integrated approach that solves 21st century needs of of people living in one of the world's largest cities?
The ebb and flow of culture in our global economy is continuous and ever churning. In the near future it's likely that we will be consuming Chinese culture as well as tuning our design for their palettes rather than vice versa. Be prepared for the powerhouse to come from China. It's on it's way, and it will be massive.
The work we do here at Cinco is, and will always be, deeply inspired by the complexities of our global design clients, the people they make things for, and for all of the new and amazing opportunities for inspiration in our work. Thank you PAM for the opportunity to see more.
