“Josef and Anni Albers: Designs for Living”
Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum, New York, NY, USA
2014

The exhibit displayed the textiles of Anni Albers and the furniture of Josef Albers from the early 1920s through the 1950s, from their Bauhaus years to their arrival in America.

The exhibition was the first to display their work together for the public. It was organized as a series of interior vignettes, juxtaposing the two designers’ work to understand how they influenced each other and highlighting the material and structural relationships evident in their designs.

Working under strict conservation requirements, TMA suspended textiles, cantilevered horizontal display cases and recessed vertical display cases. Internal light attics were designed into the cases to optimize viewing of intricate detail and to reduce glare. The exhibition is conceived as a series of dialogues between Anni and Josef Albers, interspersing their work to create visual connections and contrasts.

Credits:

Design Team: Toshiko Mori, Wendy Cronk, Jolie Kerns
Lighting: Anita Jorgensen Lighting Design
Graphic Design: Tsang Seymour Design

Photographs © Matt Flynn