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From 29 June 2015, the Red Dot Design Museum Essen and the Ruhr Museum are honouring 60 years of design history in Essen in an eight-week exhibition. The initiators of the anniversary show, Prof Dr Peter Zec and Prof Heinrich Theodor Grütter, are pleased about the realisation of this first cooperation of the two large museums at World Heritage Zollverein and about their prominent supporter: The President of the German Bundestag, Prof Dr Norbert Lammert, will assume the patronage of the exhibition “Enduring, not ultimate form”.

Born in the Ruhr region, the top-ranking politician is aware of the increasing importance of good design and of the Red Dot Award: “Design in its language of form is an important part of our culture – it is formative and at the same time a reflection of the Zeitgeist. We now live in a highly stylised society in which recognition has enormous, not least economic importance. This is because clever design ensures attention on a global market of exchangeability. But attention itself is not always a seal of quality. Just how important good design is (or has become) is demonstrated by the success story of the Red Dot Design Award as the world’s biggest competition for product design – ‘made in the Ruhr region’.”

Until 23 August 2015, visitors can learn about the rich history of the Design Zentrum Nordrhein Westfalen and experience award-winning design – from “Industrieform” to Red Dot.  The exhibition presents current and historical exhibits and reconstructs highlights of past presentations. Posters and photographs from 60 years of design history are documented alongside eyewitness accounts.

The title of the exhibition “Enduring, not ultimate form” is a quote by journalist Clara Menck which was created in relation to the design exhibition in the 1950s. The phrase refers to the timelessness of the basic form of day-to-day objects: This “enduring” quality is only made complete through constant change and optimisation. For example, while the design of a chair is entrenched in people’s lasting collective memory, there will never be the “ultimate” chair.

Enduring, not ultimate form”: 60 years of design history in Essen – from “Industrieform” to Red Dot
A joint exhibition by Red Dot Design Museum Essen and Ruhr Museum

Exhibition duration:
29 June – 23 August 2015

Exhibition location:
Zollverein UNESCO World Heritage Site
Areal A [Schacht/Shaft XII], Hall 5 [A5]
Gelsenkirchener Straße 181
45309 Essen
Germany

Further Information: www.red-dot-design-museum.org and www.ruhrmuseum.de

Press contacts:
Marie-Christine Sassenberg
Senior Communications Manager
Red Dot Design Museum Essen
Design Zentrum Nordrhein Westfalen
Gelsenkirchener Str. 181
45309 Essen
Germany
Tel.: +49 201 30104-43
E-mail: m.sassenberg(at)red-dot.de

Philipp Bänfer
Press and Public Relations
Stiftung Ruhr Museum
Fritz-Schupp-Allee 15
45141 Essen
Germany
Tel.: +49 201 24681-433
E-mail: philipp.baenfer(at)ruhrmuseum.de