First Major Retrospective: Volkswagen Presents "Victor Papanek: The Politics of Design" in the Vitra Design Museum

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• Opening on September 29, 2018, the #vitradesignmuseum in Weil am Rhein hosts the exhibition "Victor Papanek: The Politics of Design"

• The first major retrospective dedicated to the body of work of one of the most influential designers driven by sustainability and social engagement of the modern era

• Partner of this exhibition is the #Volkswagen Group as part of its far-reaching cultural commitment

Weil am Rhein/Wolfsburg, September 27, 2018 - The #vitradesignmuseum one of the leading #design institutions of the world will open the exhibition "Victor Papanek: The Politics of Design" next Saturday. Supported by #Volkswagen Group, the museum will for the first time be hosting a retrospective offering an in-depth look at the ideas and visions of a #design pioneer driven by sustainability and social engagement. The exhibition will be on display through March 10, 2019.

Organized into four main areas, the exhibition displays a wealth of objects, drawings, manuscripts and films, illustrating Papanek´s intense commitment to a social debate about #design. A number of exhibition items from the estate of the designer, author, thinker and teacher, who died in 1998, were provided by the Victor J. Papanek Foundation and are being shown publically for the first time in the #vitradesignmuseum. The exhibition’s segments focus on Papanek´s theories, in which he - especially during the sixties and seventies - argued for fundamentally new perspectives within #design, as well as presenting Papanek´s biography and his concern for sustainability and the social uses of #design. One area is also dedicated to how Papanek´s pioneering work is reflected in contemporary art and works by international designers, architects and artists.

"Victor Papanek was one of the first to not only point out the social relevance of #design, but to insist it be handled responsibly. With this position he lay the theoretical groundwork for today’s understanding, that creative powers can serve as engines of ecological and social progress", says Benita von Maltzahn, Director Cultural Engagement at #Volkswagen Group, about Volkswagen’s support for this special exhibition.

Enabling the realization of this retrospective ties in with last year’s cooperation between the #vitradesignmuseum and the #Volkswagen Group. Invited by #Volkswagen in 2017, the museum was instrumental in completing the exhibition "Driven by German Design" in the Qatar Museums, in Doha. As director of the #vitradesignmuseum, Dr. Mateo Kries also supported the educational program, initiated by #Volkswagen, which brought young designers and students together with renown experts from the German #design scene.

The partnership enabling "Victor Papanek: The Politics of Design" is an element of the global engagement for art and culture of the #Volkswagen Group. Based on an understanding of its social responsibility, the Group supports cultural institutions and artists, offering the public a diverse and wide-reaching access to cultural activities and enhancing cultural education. This reflects the Group’s conviction that art and culture are crucial factors for a strong social foundation and that their creative impact is vital for individual action and sustainable innovation.