As the design world continues to evolve through innovative approaches to sustainability, historic preservation, and urban housing, a robust roster of exhibitions, events, and competitions highlights the breadth of contemporary practice. From historic European estates hosting cutting-edge contemporary design to major retrospectives in Boston and Zurich, cultural institutions around the globe are opening their doors to explore how the built environment shapes human experience.
Among the standout exhibitions currently on view is a unique presentation at Chatsworth, the stately English home that has belonged to 16 generations of the Devonshire family. Built in the late 16th century, the historic estate boasts an expanding art collection featuring Greco-Roman sculptures, masterpieces by Rembrandt and Reynolds, and works by modern figures like Lucian Freud and David Nash. Expanding upon this rich legacy, the house and its surrounding gardens are now showcasing works from 16 contemporary artists and designers. These pieces have been curated to enter into a direct, dynamic relationship with the estate’s historic architecture, intricate interiors, period furniture, and raw materials, offering visitors a compelling dialogue between past and present craftsmanship.
Major Exhibitions
Across the Atlantic, the Institute of Contemporary Art/Boston is preparing for a landmark presentation. From April 6 through September 4, 2023, the museum will present the first comprehensive survey exhibition dedicated to the celebrated New York-based artist and sculptor Simone Leigh. Spanning two decades of prolific production, the exhibition will feature sculpture, ceramics, video, and immersive installation work. Notably, it will also showcase pieces from Leigh’s acclaimed 2022 Venice Biennale presentation, marking their first time being exhibited to the public in the United States.
In Europe, institutions are reflecting on both mid-century modernism and contemporary urban futures. The Museum of Design Zurich recently wrapped up an influential retrospective titled Willy Guhl – Thinking with Your Hands, dedicated to the pioneering Swiss designer. Best known for his iconic "Loop Chair," which was constructed from a durable cement-asbestos mixture known as Eternit, Guhl studied at the Kunstgewerbeschule in Zurich before helping to shape the neo-functional design movement across Europe during the mid-20th century.
Meanwhile, urban challenges are taking center stage in Central Europe. The Center for Architecture and Metropolitan Planning in Prague is presenting Prague Tomorrow? Houses and Apartments, a comprehensive exhibition investigating the current state of housing within the city. By outlining potential pathways for success through targeted policy reform and innovative design strategies, the exhibition draws its core findings from the official Housing Development Strategy approved by the Prague city council in 2021.
In New York, the Cooper Hewitt Design Museum is hosting Deconstructing Power: W.E.B. Du Bois at the 1900 World’s Fair. The exhibition brings fresh attention to a historic display originally created for The American Negro Exhibit at the 1900 Paris World’s Fair, where W.E.B. Du Bois and his students at Atlanta University produced groundbreaking data visualizations tracking the social and economic status of African Americans following emancipation. By placing these long-overlooked contributions into dialogue with the broader World’s Fair, the exhibition exposes the historical disparities in how the event has been remembered as a pure spectacle of modern progress.
London’s Design Museum is similarly celebrating cultural identity and heritage through Parables for Happiness, an expansive exhibition featuring 100 works by British-Nigerian artist and designer Yinka Ilori. Known widely for his vibrant, colorful public art installations, Ilori’s multidisciplinary showcase includes artworks, photographs, furniture, textiles, books, and personal possessions that trace the profound influence of his North London upbringing and his deep-rooted Nigerian heritage.
Innovation in contemporary practice is also a focal point at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, which has launched a new exhibition series titled Architecture Now: New York, New Publics. The inaugural exhibition highlights 12 recently completed projects by emerging architects redefining the field across New York City. Participating firms include Adjaye Associates, nArchitects, SO – IL, alongside design vanguard winners CO Adaptive and Only If. Each architectural project is paired with a newly commissioned short video by Brooklyn-based filmmaker Hudson Lines, produced specifically for the exhibition to capture the real-world impact of these civic interventions.
At the Center for Architecture, also in New York, the New Practices New York exhibition showcases the vision of AIA New York’s 2020 competition winners. The exhibition highlights six emerging firms—BRANDT: HAFERD, Bryony Roberts Studio, City-group, GRT Architects, New Affiliates, and ANY—all of which have demonstrated a profound commitment to civic engagement and a collaborative approach to the city and its residents.
Events
The global events calendar kicks off with major gatherings dedicated to preservation, building materials, and sustainable construction. In Palm Springs, California, the annual celebration of modernist design known as Modernism Week returns with more than 350 events spread across various local venues. Offering home and garden tours, curated films, and specialized lectures, the event features a keynote presentation by Morphosis principal Thom Mayne.
In April, Orlando will play host to Coverings, the largest international tile and stone exhibition in the United States. Bringing together approximately 800 exhibitors hailing from over 30 countries, the conference offers industry professionals an extensive exhibition floor alongside targeted learning sessions and valuable networking opportunities.
As the industry grapples with environmental imperatives, the GettingTo Zero forum will convene in Minneapolis from May 10 to 12. Operating in a hybrid format with both virtual and in-person attendance, the forum will bring together more than 500 leading policymakers, architects, and industry experts to collaborate on zero-energy and zero-carbon solutions aimed at aggressively decarbonizing the built environment.
In Spain, the architecture and design festival Concéntrico 09 returns to Logroño for its ninth edition. Running for six days, the festival animates the city with a diverse roster of temporary installations, exhibitions, and public events designed to provoke critical thought about the public realm and everyday civic life.
Competitions
Designers and architects looking to gain international recognition have several notable competition deadlines approaching. The Copper Development Association is currently accepting submissions for the North American Copper in Architecture Awards. The program honors projects located in the United States or Canada that have been completed within the past three years and demonstrate outstanding craftsmanship and visionary application of architectural copper and copper alloys.
In the realm of architectural photography, AIA St. Louis is accepting entries for its annual National Photography Competition. Open to licensed architects and currently enrolled architecture students, the competition celebrates excellence in capturing the built environment through the camera lens. Winning photographs will be published and exhibited at the upcoming AIA conference.
Finally, the Holcim Foundation has opened submissions for the Holcim Awards 2023, a premier global competition recognizing projects that successfully merge sustainable construction practices with design excellence. Evaluated against the Foundation’s rigorous standards for sustainable building, entries will compete for Gold, Silver, and Bronze prizes across five geographic regions: Europe, North America, Latin America, the Middle East and Africa, and the Asia Pacific. Regional winners will receive cash prizes and an invitation to the official prize announcement at the 2023 Venice Biennale of Architecture.
