Cold War

The period from the end of the Second World War to the mid 1970s was a time of great political tension and exceptional creativity. Art and design were not peripheral symptoms of politics during the Cold War: they played a central role in representing and sometimes challenging the dominant political and social ideas of the age.

Anxiety and Hope in the Aftermath of World War II

The Second World War caused tremendous devastation. But this tragedy also created an opportunity for architects and designers

The Conscription of the Arts during the Cold War

Artists and designers played a central role in the Cold War battle of images. Their work was conscripted for propaganda, and their actions and opinions prized.

Crisis and Fear in Cold War Design

Cold War anxieties peaked at the beginning of the 1960s and artists began to imagine the landscape in terms of menace.

The Space Race

The 'space race' was the most dramatic sphere of Cold War competition. Man's journey into space required tremendous ingenuity - from the powerful rockets which fired satellites into orbit to the suits which sustained life in the dark vacuum of space.

Cold War Revolution and Protest

The idea of revolution was revitalised during the 1960s. A new generation of activists - in the East and the West - argued that society could be dramatically reorganised by direct action.

Cold War Utopian Ideals

The late 1960s saw the last surge of utopian thinking in the 20th century. Visionaries on both sides of the Cold War envisaged new ways of living.

Garden Egg Chair by Peter Ghyczy, 1968

The Garden Egg, or Senftenberg Egg, chair was designed by Peter Ghyczy in 1968. It has two stories, one from each side of the Berlin wall.

Video: Jested Telecommunications Tower and Hotel

As part of Cold War Modern: Design 1945-70, exhibition curator Jane Pavitt visited the Ješted telecommunication tower and hotel in Liberec, Czech Republic. The hotel is situated on top of a mountain and was built in the mid-1960s as the telecommunication point of the Soviet state network. The telecommunication towers were a unique building form of the Cold War period.

Video: Dieter Rams, designer - Cold War Modern

This rare film, originally commissioned for the V&A's Cold War Modern exhibition, visits Rams in his German home. It explores Rams's uncompromising design philosophy and asks him about classic objects such as the SK4 record player which have made Rams a 21st-century cult figure. As design director of the German company, Braun, Rams led a design revolution that brought Modernist rigour and elegance to every electronic object in the home.

Video: Ken Adam, designer - Cold War Modern

Sir Ken Adam trained as an architect, after which he joined the film industry as a set designer. He made his mark with the vibrant villain's lair for Dr No, attracting the attention of maverick director, Stanley Kubrick who asked him to design the set for his 'Cold War comedy' Dr Strangelove. This film looks at Adam's difficult but productive relationship with the director.

20th Century

The 20th century was a time of great social and artistic upheaval. Art, design, theatre and performance were all profoundly affected by the catastrophic impact of the two world wars, the fear and suspicion of the Cold War, and the rapidly changing position of women in society.

Modernism

Modernism in design and architecture emerged in the aftermath of the First World War and the Russian Revolution – a period when the artistic avant-garde dreamed of a new world free of conflict, greed and social inequality. It was not a style but a loose collection of ideas. Many different styles can be characterised as Modernist, but they shared certain underlying principles: a rejection of history and applied ornament; a preference for abstraction; and a belief that design and technology could transform society.

A gift in your will

You may not have thought of including a gift to a museum in your will, but the V&A is a charity and legacies form an important source of funding for our work. It is not just the great collectors and the wealthy who leave legacies to the V&A. Legacies of all sizes, large and small, make a real difference to what we can do and your support can help ensure that future generations enjoy the V&A as much as you have.

Victoria and Albert Museum

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Anxiety and Hope in the Aftermath of World War II