Exhilarating Exhibit

NYC – When tourists plan their trip to Manhattan, a city teeming with attractions, chances are the Smithsonian’s Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum doesn’t make the cut. But an exhibit now on display at this Fifth Avenue institution should be catapulted to the top of every visitor’s must-see list.
“Design Life Now: National Design Triennial 2006” presents work by 87 designers in a mosaic of fields: architecture, fashion, furniture, film, graphics, science and product design. The exhibit, a fusion of art and science, is part of an ongoing series started in 2000 that seeks out the most cutting-edge projects by designers who are American or who are working in the U.S. The current show, which opened in December and runs through July 29, features work from 2003 to 2006.
The compilation is exhilarating. It’s diverse, thought-provoking and fun. Climbing the stairs is even entertaining, thanks to the “Electroland” installment, which features acrylic light panels and a sound system, both of which respond to movement. Unlike many design exhibits, this show includes pieces that for once are functional. Consider “Clear Blue Hawaii,” a 26-pound transparent kayak that folds up and fits in a backpack. Time magazine named it one of the coolest inventions of 2003.
Spread over three floors, the exhibit takes three hours to properly view. The pieces are not grouped by category; rather, a building model by Bernard Tschumi sits a few feet away from Ralph Rucci’s silk and wool crepe dresses. Innovation is the show’s unifying element, although the environment is a recurring subject. You can see robotic dogs that sniff out pollutants or an underwater vessel that probes the depths of the ocean while doing little harm to marine life.
If you have children in tow, they might want to scribble on the 6-foot-tall, three-dimensional chalkboard – it resembles a bunny – designed by Kidrobot, a creator and retailer of art toys.
The lack of a printed program is a drawback to the show, although its Web site, www.peoplesdesignaward.org, is extensive. You can buy a $40 catalogue, but not in the gift shop: they’re sold out. Perhaps tourists are flocking to the Cooper-Hewitt after all. (JM)