Furniture designs on display at the exhibition at M7.
Doha, Qatar: Dr. Mateo Kries, the Director of the Vitra Design Museum, has praised Qatar as a hub for those seeking to create cultural experiences.
“I like Qatar very much, I think it’s a place for a lot people that want to create cultural experiences.” Speaking to The Peninsula recently, he expressed his appreciation for Qatar and its vibrant creative scene. He emphasised how exhibitions can vibrate with the local audience and inspire local designers, allowing them to perceive objects as unique creations, a departure from their limited exposure in museums worldwide. Dr. Kries underlined the importance of cultural exchange and collaborative efforts in achieving this.
He commended M7 initiative, which provides a platform for local and international creative industries to collaborate. Dr. Kries also noted the enthusiasm and pioneering spirit of young designers in the country, who are eager to explore design’s history and heritage while forging their distinct design identities. M7 is the country’s epicentre for innovation & entrepreneurship in design, fashion & tech.
Director of the Vitra Design Museum, Dr. Mateo Kries
As the Curator of the “Masterpieces of Furniture Design” exhibition running until December 9 at the M7 Building in Msheireb Downtown Doha, Dr. Kries stressed that this exhibition fosters a cultural dialogue between Qatar and Germany, where the Vitra Design Museum is based. He expressed great honour in presenting the first Vitra Design Museum exhibition in Qatar and the Middle East, stressing the quality of the cultural exchange that has been initiated.
Furthermore, he discussed the unique focus of the Vitra Design Museum on furniture design, noting that their exhibition programme explores design within a broader context. Collaborating with M7 and Qatar Museums allowed them to revisit their collection and reassess the canon of design, the significance of various pieces, and the key developments in design history. He highlighted the changing landscape of design and the evolving perspective on design history, noting the differences between the current exhibition and the one curated in the 1990s.
The exhibition, featuring over 50 iconic objects, offers a journey through the past 200 years of modern furniture design. Each piece showcases the evolution of design principles, stressing the intricate relationship between art and functionality. Dr. Kries concluded by sharing the impact that exhibitions like the “Masterpieces of Furniture Design” can have on designers, serving as a source of inspiration and guiding them in finding their unique design paths. “For certain designers of a certain generation, exhibition like this can be important in order to show them what design can be, in order to inspire them, to find their own way.”
“The exhibition is not meant to indicate one way the design should go, but to show that design can have multiple expressions, but it is about honesty, finding your own way, I think there’s one beautiful quote by German Architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe which is emblematic for the exhibition, he said that “Beauty is the reflection of truth,” and I think that is what the exhibition is about, it is beauty coming from objects which are honest in their design approach.”
