Wilhelm WagenfeldGerman, 1900–1990
Karl (Carl ) Jacob JuckerSwiss, 1902–1997
ME1 Table Lamp, designed 1923–24; produced 1925–26
Made by Metal Workshop, Bauhaus Dessau, Germany
Opalescent glass globe, glass stem and base, nickel-plated column brass, link pull-chain
The Walter C. and Mary C. Briggs Endowment Fund
Tuesday, October 13, 2009—Sunday, July 11, 2010
Wells Fargo Center and MIA Modernist Design Galleries
Free Exhibition
Since 1989, a continuous series of annual exhibitions devoted to aspects of Modernism has been presented at Wells Fargo Center, an offsite, downtown venue for the MIA.
"Modernism 20: Past/Present/Future," the 20th anniversary exhibition, is a selection of design classics in all mediums, ranging from the beginning of the twentieth century to the present. Among works on view are a recently acquired ME1 Bauhaus lamp (1925-26) and an Albin Muller punch bowl (1903). Other highlights include an Emile Galle table lamp (c. 1900), Christopher Dresser Clutha vase (c. 1890), and Kate Harris presentation cup (1901-2).
Industrial design works include a Fernand Leger doorknob and escutcheon (c. 1955-56), Thomas McCreary Ruba Rombic fishbowl (c. 1928), Italian espresso machine (1930), and the celebrated Ezio Pirali VE 505 Electric table fan (1954-60). Lesser known, but no less engaging discoveries round out the survey.
Background
In 1987, Norwest Corporation initiated a fully coordinated arts program to complement its new spaces in Norwest Center, a 57-story office tower in downtown Minneapolis designed by Cesar Pelli & Associates. The program's concept--to acquire and rotate a modernist design collection--was prompted by the building's character and vintage interior elements. A series of twenty-one vitrines were permanently installed on two public levels exclusively for presenting annual exhibitions.
The collection's debut and formal opening of the building were timed to coincide in January 1989. When Norwest merged with Wells Fargo in 1998, the entire Modernism collection, nearly 500 works, was donated to the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. The exhibition program as originally conceived, however, has continued without interruption. "Past/Present/Future" represents the twentieth successive exhibition--a celebration of the program's 20th anniversary.
