Paola Antonelli's exhibitions for MoMA often feel like a science fair planted in a museum. Her current show "Design and the Elastic Mind" is no exception, showcasing the fertile relationships between design and science, sculpture, engineering, architecture, and computer programming. Alex Terzich attends the press preview and opening, where he interviews Chuck Hoberman and Peter Hall, and sits with Paola Antonelli for a longer interview the following day.
With backgrounds in sculpture and engineering, Hoberman is a kind of live prototype for the ideal Elastic Mind contributor. He specializes in the design of transformable objects at scales ranging from toys to tents to full-scale architectural enclosures. His kinetic sculpture "Emergent Surface" was commissioned by MoMA specifically for the show and he discusses its origins and ideals.
Peter Hall is a critic who has written extensively about product design, data visualization and emergent cartographic practices. His essay "Critical Visualization" is featured in the exhibition catalog. On opening night he weighs in some of the work in the "Data Visualization" section of the show and outlines his essay on critical visual practice.
Paola Antonelli began her curatorial career at MoMA in 1995 with Mutant Materials in Contemporary Design. Her exhibitions are consistently popular, challenging and expansive. In this interview she reflects on opening night and our emotional attachments to objects.
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