Konstantin Grcic New Normals

Grcic’s exhibition title derives from the concept of “the new normal”- describing a form of future that has already become an everyday occurrence. It refers to circumstances or things that indicate our immediate reality having undergone some change. Wearing a mask on an ordinary day is no longer the exception but has become a new normality.

The designer explains, “‘New Normals’, then, does not relate directly to the ongoing pandemic, but poses a question beyond the present situation: what could be normal in the future and how would that affect the world of physical things we live with? The objects and installations on display are in essence speculations. The point is not to frame a vision of a specific future, but to outline and test existing fragments of possible future normalcies.”

Grcic’s futuristic-looking chairs, armchairs, tables, lamps, shelves and other objects impressively demonstrate: the future cannot be known - but it can be designed. His designs not only take on a new form, but also point to other, possible, new worlds in which these objects could unfold their potential. Grcic’s designs seek to shift our perspective from the existing to the coming.

Konstantin Grcic (born 1965, Munich) was trained as a cabinet maker at the John Makepeace School for Craftsmen in Wood in Dorset, England, before studying design at the Royal College of Art in London. He founded his own office in Munich in 1991. Today he lives and works in Berlin. Grcic‘s work has been showcased in numerous solo exhibitions, including Haus der Kunst, Munich (2006); Art Institute of Chicago (2009); Vitra Design Museum, Weil am Rhein (2015) and Kunsthalle Bielefeld (2016). His creations have found their way into prestigious design collections such as the Museum of Modern Art, New York; Victoria and Albert Museum, London or the Centre Georges-Pompidou, Paris.