“Fashioning Felt”
Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum, New York, NY, USA
2009

The exhibit provided a comprehensive overview of the material felt—from historic developments to handmade innovations to contemporary use in industry and design.  Felt was on display in its various incarnations as product design, fashion, architecture, and home furnishings.

TMA created a series of floating platforms whose ribbon-like walls curved to initiate intimate viewing experiences.  The height of each curved wall was tailored to its particular display object.  At the same time, the larger sculptural presence of the curved walls perceptually changed the dimensions of the historic setting.  A play between invitation and revelation, these curving vignettes invited movement through the exhibition space as animated and texturally distinct setting for the felt.  The curved vocabulary visually connected individual gallery spaces, establishing a sense of continuity through the exhibition.   

TMA suspended textiles, recessed felt objects in transparent platform decks, and worked closely with contemporary artists in the design of custom walls and details for site specific art installations.  TMA created a dynamic environment in which to consider the breadth of possibility for this age old material.      

Credits:

Design Team: Toshiko Mori, Jolie Kerns, Phoebe Springstubb
Curator: Susan Brown
Lighting: Mary Ann Hoag Lighting Design
Graphic Design: Tsang Seymour Design

Photographs © Matt Flynn