Provoking Magic: Lighting of Ingo Maurer at the Cooper-Hewitt

Just in case you woke up this morning panicking "Holy Smokes that lamp show at the Cooper-Hewitt closes in two weeks I've gotta go today!", well.... relax. You really don't.

I mean, Ingo Maurer definitely has a lot of interesting ideas about lighting, and Provoking Magic does feature some attention-getting objects, but like many exhibitions at this museum, there's also a definite air of seen-it-before, especially if you've visited a design blog more than twice this past year. Another flaw in the show, and a common one at the Copper-Hewitt: few, if any, curator's "liner" notes accompany the pieces, so nothing comes with any context, unless you do the free audio tour, which Debbie and I did not.

Anyway, the exhibit showcases more than 50 of Maurer's creations, spread out through all the exhibit rooms on Andrew Carnegie's one-time mansion's second floor. Highlights for us included "Porca Miseria!", a chandelier made from shattered white porcelain dinner plates, as well as the odd fork and knife; the spooky-blue installation featuring "Wo bist do Edison....?", a hanging lamp with a hologram bulb; and the Golden Ribbon, a huge, undulating, surprisingly elegant ceiling piece that looks exactly like it sounds like it would look.

There are plenty of lowlights here, as well, especially the overly kitschy stuff (lamps made from Astroboy and the like), the ho-hum LED clothing, and the chandelier infested with rats. And the fluorescent playground pictured below would probably be really cool if it was actually built and you could wander through it, but it's not.

Provoking Magic: Lighting of Ingo Maurer will be at the Cooper-Hewitt Design Museum through January 27. Admission to the museum is a painful $15. Fortunately for me, Debbie had two free passes, so we left feeling only disappointed, rather than disappointed and ripped off.

Bklyn Designs 2007

It was beautiful here in New York City last Saturday, perfect for strolling around Dumbo with Debbie and checking out Bkyln Designs 2007, the now-annual showcase of "the hottest" Brooklyn-based designers and manufacturers of contemporary furniture (and some home accessories). But while the weather was lovely—it was particularly nice to walk across the Brooklyn Bridge after we were done—Debbie and I were seriously underwhelmed by the exhibition. She said: Lots of almost-good ideas. Me said: Some good ideas, not very well executed.

The show, which kicked off NY Design Week, has spread to three locations, all within a few blocks of each other on Dumbo's cobblestoned streets: St. Ann's Warehouse (the buzziest, most bustling venue), the Smack Mellon Gallery near the river, and the Bklyn Designs Annex. But even with 65 exhibitors, the $12 admission felt steep, given the paucity of fresh, exciting designs. All that said, there were several interesting booths, some of which are pictured below.

Though I'm not sure I'd want them in my home (maybe my nephew's home?), I thought these creations by Longo Land were fun, original, compelling...


This wavy chaise by Aswoon was surpisingly comfy...


Debbie was less convinced...


Paul Loebach designs had energy, wit, and passion, as in this Gunshot Mirror. His description: "Mirrored glass shot with a .22 rifle and inset into solid chestnut. A split second of destructive power frozen in time on your wall. Made by America."


This cabinet/dresser was innovative (the swirling images of the eyes are three-dimensional), but kind of freaky for a child's room, no?


One of the reasons we found the show disappointing was that we had seen many of these objects before, mostly on design blogs. Like these cool spice shelving units from DESU Design (I like their coat hooks, too)...


...and these Nymph lamps from Site Specific Design....


I liked the organic shapes of these children's rockers from Lisa Albin Design's iglooplay line...


By the way, next Tuesday, May 22, the massive International Contemporary Furniture Fair at the Javits Center—featuring more than 600 exhibitors!—will be open to the general public. Prepare to be exhausted.