The New Decor: Prehistory

The New Décor is a major international exhibition of objects and installations that use pieces of furniture as means of expression. Tables, chairs, blinds, bulbs and many other everyday objects gain new meaning. In the hands of artists, these common items transform into symbols and metaphors. What issues are raised by this transformation? What is the attraction of these themes? When did design first force its way to the arts arena? What's the difference between style and interior design? Why can't we avoid the antiquated term 'art deco' when analyzing modern art? All these questions, and more will be answered by curator Ralph Rugoff on the opening of the exhibition.

Ralph Rugoff – American-born English curator, writer. Former director of the CCA Wattis Institute for Contemporary Arts at California College of the Arts, director of the Hayward Gallery in London from 2006. Among the reсent shows he has curated, is a retrospective exhibition Ed Ruscha: Fifty Years of Painting.