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British Design 1948-2012: Innovation in the Modern Age

BOOKMARK ARTICLE

London’s V&A is presenting a blockbuster survey of iconic British Design, spanning eight decades of productivity and creativity between two UK-hosted Olympic years, 1948 and 2012.

The exhibition’s agenda is to reassert Britain's status as a global leader in design renowned for its support of emerging talent, its ability to deliver high quality manufacturing to an international market and to innovate through its 'creative economy.' 

The exhibition is divided into three themes best defining Britain's approach to design: Tradition & Modernity, Subversion and Innovation & Creativity.

Tradition is defined by the propriety of Queen Elizabeth's coronation along with a nation's attempt to regenerate itself through ambitious architectural projects. Subversion celebrates the plethora of renegade talent spawned by British art schools including Vivienne Westwood, Damien Hirst and Alexander McQueen, along with numerous counter-cultural movements which have punctuated the eras from Punk to 90s Brit Pop.

Innovation examines the UK's contribution to global manufacturing and industrial products from Jonathan Ive's designs for Apple, Zaha Hadid's 2012 London Aquatic Centre and of course Concorde.

The British Design exhibition will anchor a host of other satellite shows around the museum in the upcoming months including Heatherwick Studio: Designing the Extraoridinary and Ballgowns: British Glamour.

Photos courtsey V&A Images.

Victoria and Albert Museum
South Kensington
SW7 2RL
London, UK

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