Room 74: 20th century, internationalism & modernism
'Paimio Armchair', Alvar Aalto, Finland, 1930. Museum no. W.41-1987
This room is divided into three bays. The first includes objects made between 1900 and 1920, a time when appropriate uses for mechanised production were fiercely debated. In the second, internationalism is explored and in the third there are seminal examples of Modernism, and other objects which show the influence of Modernism, made between 1920 and 1945. Modernist characteristics included commitment to industrial techniques and materials and belief in the reforming power of design.
A section of Room 74 is also used for temporary exhibitions such as the recent display of winning entries in the V&A Illustration Awards and the Penguin by Design exhibition.
Room 74 is on Level 3 of the V&A South Kensington.
British Design 1948–2012: Innovation in the Modern Age
31 March–12 August 2012
Showcasing over 300 British design objects, this exhibition celebrates the best of British post-war art and design from the 1948 ‘Austerity Games' to the summer of 2012.
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Fashioning Kimono: Dress and Modernity in Twentieth-Century Japan
A focus on 150 Japanese garments dating from the late 19th to the early 20th centuries, taken from the renowned Montgomery Collection
Buy nowEvent - Style Cities:Vienna
Sat 23 June 2012 14:00
SEMINAR: Explore the history, culture, art and architecture of 19th and early 20th century Vienna, the city
that hosts over 200 formals balls every year. Vienna is the last great capital of the 19th century ball.
