Preview
HABITAT: CANADIAN DESIGN NOW
Now running
The Triangle Gallery
Habitat: Canadian Design Now sets out to challenge the notion that Canadian design has fallen off the international radar screen over the last three decades.
"This timely exhibition presents a mini-survey of the recent trends in contemporary Canadian design," says Jacek Malec, director of the Triangle Gallery, which is hosting this travelling exhibition from the Winnipeg Art Gallery.
Ever since the halcyon days of Expo ’67, when Moshe Safdie designed Habitat (a sprawling complex of concrete cubes that comprise a large apartment complex in Montreal), Canadian designers have struggled to curry much attention.
There are some notable and high-profile exceptions, such as Frank Gehry, who was in the public eye for being the architect of the titanium-clad Guggenheim Museum located in Bilbao, Spain. No matter that Gehry left Canada in the 1940s to pursue his education in California and is now a U.S. citizen – Canada is all too happy to claim him as our own genius.
However, upon closer examination, Gehry’s story is the prototypical one for young and talented Canadian designers, who often have to pack their bags and head to Europe or the U.S. to be "discovered" by a more appreciative and knowledgeable audience than is available at home. According to Malec, part of this sorry situation can be traced back to the Canadian government, which has typically failed to value contemporary design.
"The governments of Sweden, Finland and other Scandinavian countries have a very strong funding base for the artists, designers and architects, with additional financial support for international promotion, including numerous exhibition projects that travel around the globe," he says. "Similar programs are strongly advocated by the governments of Italy, Germany (and) France, and their designers and architects are nearly permanent fixtures in leading international design magazines."
Although this dearth of funding, support and media attention continues to plague designers in this country, the 10 artists whose work is showcased in this exhibition seem to be showing us that there is a renaissance for Canadian design.
Following in the footsteps of Frank Gehry is Egypt-born, Canadian-raised Karim Rashid, who now makes his home in New York City. Although the U.S. is Rashid’s home base, he is still considered an important member of the fledgling Canadian design club.
"His close relationship with Canadian companies like Scarborough-based Umbra and Edmonton-based Pure Design has permitted him to maintain strong ties to the country," says Malec. "Initially, he made one-off pieces that gently parodied consumption and fashion trends."
Rashid’s style takes its inspiration from the 1960s, yet goes beyond the decade of flower power to usher in a new era of Canadian design. Using polypropylene covered in polyester fabric, Rashid makes furniture that is curvy and sexy while not taking itself too seriously.
Montreal-based Michael Santella of Dibis Inc. has also made his mark on the international design community. His Flex Folding Chair combines aluminium and pine fibre to create furniture that is both elegant and functional. Ironically for a designer that uses Canadian materials exclusively, Santella has been rewarded by international design organizations, picking up New York’s Accent on Design award and Germany’s Design Zentrum prize.
Not to be left out of this new wave of Canadian design is Winnipeg’s Plastic Buddha. Husband-and-wife team Craig Alun Smith and Tara Walker have been producing what have often been described as "witty" and "humorous" objects since 1998. Included in this exhibition is their Regina Bench (prototype) made from wood and broom bristles. Malec says it looks like a giant brush and a field of wheat at the same time.
Habitat also features Edmonton’s Hothouse Design Studio and Pure Design, also from Edmonton, which won an award at the 2001 International Contemporary Furniture Fair for its innovative furniture collection.
Whether the members of this talented group of designers who still live in Canada are simply waiting to catch an airplane for Europe or the U.S. remains an open question. What is evident following a visit to Habitat though, is that a growing number of designers who are generally being ignored in this country are catching the close attention of clients from across the world who understand the value of good design. |
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