ICM - Leeds Design Agency

Tuesday, October 21st 2008

Cold War Modern at the V&A

This weekend, on my bi-monthly trip to see the Arsenal in London, I went to the V&A for the first time. Having never been a tourist in London I don’t often go to museums, but this exhibition really inspired me.

Cold War Modern is an exploration of how the cold war influenced design, architecture and the arts. As world politics appeared to polarise the world between Capitalism and Communism, the two sides fought a propaganda war through design and innovation. Best represented in the Space Race, what the exhibition really highlighted for me was how deeply the political ideals of both sides embedded itself into the two cultures.

It was also a time of great optimism mixed with fear of nuclear war, so while art and architecture reflected the futuristic ambitions of the world, it also mirrored the fear of complete destruction. Thinking about the point at which the world now sits, aware that not only have we caused irreparable damage to our planet, but also that our financial systems are failing and uncertain, the exhibition harked back to a time when political idealism was exciting and the technical possibilities seemed never ending.

For more info and videos you can also check out this excellent blog post:
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