Exhibition “Into the Space Age” with exhibits from the Löffler Collection
© Anne-Sophie Ebert, Hessisches Landesmuseum Darmstadt
Exploring the Cosmos: A Showcase of Futuristic Design
Looking into the future is very common at the moment and raises numerous questions. How will the coming decades develop? What technical inventions will humanity be confronted with? In the age of energy and climate crisis, AI and digitalization, new visions of future life are currently emerging. But it is also worth taking a look at the past. Futuristic ideas also occupied society at the beginning of the second half of the 20th century. The 50s, 60s and 70s in particular represent an exciting phase of then, expectant future fantasies.
As a result, there is currently a noticeable fascination for the zeitgeist and the inventions of the so-called Space Age or atomic and space age.
With this in mind, the Hessian State Museum Darmstadt (HLMD) showed an exciting and futuristic special exhibition from September 2023 to January 2024, organized by the curators Dr. Wolfgang Glueber and Dr. Christoph Engel was conceived. On the topic “Into the Space Age! Visions & Design” visitors were able to marvel at and get to know impressive objects from the late 1950s to the early 1970s. The exhibition was dedicated to this period of contemporary history in the form of contributions from design, architecture, fashion and film, which were primarily determined by the then emerging euphoria surrounding space travel and the new energy source of nuclear power.
The dawn of a new future era was truly celebrated and eagerly awaited - this is proven by the contemporary evidence and design icons from back then.
The hype of the atomic and space age
The world exhibitions of 1958 in Brussels and 1962 in Seattle featured futuristic architecture; the “Atomium” in Brussels represents the new, almost inexhaustible energy source of the century and the “Space Needle” tower in Seattle represents the space race as a monument. Both buildings represent the belief in the unlimited possibilities of science and technology, which was evident in almost all areas of society at the time.
Since the launch of the first carrier rocket “Sputnik” in 1957, space fever has spread worldwide, which was particularly evident in the medium of film. In the 1960s, the series “The Jetsons” flickered across home television sets, anticipating today’s smart home, and “Space Patrol Orion,” and the science fiction films “2001: A Space Odyssey” and “Barbarella” caused a stir in the cinema .
From today's perspective, one can smile or be amazed at this hype and the effects that the ideas about the future at the time brought about. For example, atomic and space toys conquered children's rooms, as shown by a toy steam engine in the shape of a nuclear power plant. Atom models and rockets were also extremely popular as decoration on vases and wallpaper. “Sputnik lamps” became indispensable for interior design, as did the forerunners of our today’s “seating landscapes” – a sign of the changing needs of life.
Designers like Harry Bertoia, Eero Saarinen, Verner Panton and Joe Colombo designed furniture and complete living environments for the future, some of which can also be found in science fiction films of the time. New shapes, colors and materials became the defining characteristics of this time.
Futuristic design
Whether lava lamps, televisions and radios, clothing or furniture, everything attracted people with bright, trendy colors and unusually organic shapes, which made the objects appear refreshingly new and futuristic. The dominant material of the objects was plastic - this is also demonstrated by the exhibition objects. Because of this, completely new forms of furniture could be developed, which to the eye - in the past as well as today - appear spaced out.
This creative phase of international design created numerous design classics, including Verner Panton's colorful "Panton Chair" as the first cantilever chair made of plastic or the airy, light "Diamond Chair" made of wire mesh by Harry Bertoia or the spherical swivel chair "The Ball" by Eero Aarnio, which appears like a small universe, or the well-known “Tulip Chair” by Eero Saarinen, which was also used in the “Raumpatrouille Orion” series. A special feature of all the seating presented is that none of them have a classic chair leg. New, organic solutions were developed.
In addition to unmistakable icons of the atomic and space ages, the special exhibition impressed with its funky exhibition look in keeping with the decades in question - the retro feeling was included for many visitors. The design and visions of the Space Age ensured a creative enrichment of international design, which, however, ended in the early 1970s with the onset of the oil crisis and the anti-nuclear power movement and whereupon an awareness of the ecological use of resources set in instead.
Exhibition cooperation with the Löffler Collection
In search of specific exhibits from the Space Age era, Dr. Wolfgang Glueber knocked on the door of the Löffler Collection and of course found what he was looking for during his on-site visit to Reichschwand. Due to the promising exhibition idea, the Löffler Collection decided to support the HLMD in its project with selected objects. The wish list for potential loans included designs by Joe Colombo, Wolfgang Feierbach, Piero Gatti, Cesare Paolini and Franco Teodoro as well as Gionatan de Pas, Donato D'Urbino, Paolo Lomazzi, Carla Scolari and Quasar Khanh, which are in the could be admired in Darmstadt in recent months.
As a small highlight in addition to all the seating furniture, the ball television “Nivico Videosphere 3240 GM” from JVC Design was discovered during the tour of the collection, which Dr. Glüber was particularly pleased with as an exhibition object. The Löffler Collection was very happy about the wonderful cooperation with the HLMD. We would like to thank you very much for the mutual exchange. We were very happy to support the “Into the Space Age” special exhibition with items on loan from the Löffler Collection.