Together with German curator Volker Albus—who previously curated the travelling exhibit Somewhat Different: Contemporary Design and the Power of Convention at Yuchengco Museum in 2012—IFA (Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen e.V.) and Goethe-Institut Manila present New Olds: Design between Tradition and Innovation. The show features 60 objects that explore the relationship between tradition and innovation in contemporary design.
New Olds looks into how contemporary designers work with traditional elements, whether it is style, material or craft. The show also explores the themes of material, construction, configuration, production, and traditional use. 45 designers and design teams from Germany, other European countries, and the US enter into an intensive dialogue at the exhibit. This exhibition looks at aspects of the “new” and the “old” in a range of objects and groups of objects, discusses differences and new combinations, presents trends in recycling and redesign, and looks at the transformation of design classics and traditional ways of using new materials.
The international nature of the show is further emphasized by a selection of Philippine examples of design that put a twist on tradition. For the Philippine leg of New Olds, curator Volker Albus especially chose chairs designed by Gabriel Barredo and Dem Bitantes.
New Olds: Design between Tradition and Innovation is a travelling exhibition presented by IFA (Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen e.V.) and Goethe-Institut Manila.
