View across the Town Square. Image by Picture Plane © Victoria and Albert Museum, London
View within The Stage area of the Imagine Gallery © Victoria and Albert Museum, London
Curated and organized by MDFF Greece’s Director Annie Markitanis, this podcast series is a sequel to the homonymous article written for the festival’s catalog by Daniel Gava, Brand Strategy Advisor to the Architecture and Design Industry. The podcast series sees guests from the cultural, design, and architecture sectors who examine the different facets of design, and the changes signaling it through time via topics pertinent to their work and experience. The podcast series features original music composed by Rosita Kèss, “Obikè” from her upcoming album “Yèlèma”. www.rositakessmusic.com
For the first episode, co-hosted by Annie Markitanis and Daniel Gava, we are joined by the Senior Curator of the Museum of Childhood at the Victoria and Albert Museum, Alex Newson.
View of the pre-walker and toddler zone of the Play Gallery. Image by Picture Plane © Victoria and Albert Museum, London
View into the Living Together display in the Imagine Gallery. Image by Picture Plane © Victoria and Albert Museum, London
As Chief Curator at the V&A Museum of Childhood Alex leads the curatorial and collections teams, who are currently engaged in a major new capital project to renovate the museum and revitalize its collections. Prior to joining the V&A Alex worked as Senior Curator at the Design Museum where he led the curatorial team that developed the museum’s first-ever permanent gallery. As a specialist in contemporary design and architecture, Alex has curated numerous temporary exhibitions including retrospective exhibitions on designers Dieter Rams and Hella Jongerius and architects Louis Kahn and David Adjaye. Alex has written and contributed to various books, journals and magazines, commentating on wide-ranging themes relating to design and museum theory.
View across the Adventure display in the Imagine Gallery. Image by Picture Plane © Victoria and Albert Museum, London
View across the Design Gallery. Image by Picture Plane © Victoria and Albert Museum, London
Together we discuss the role of design and architecture within the V&A’s experiential identity and overall objectives. Moreover, we address the museum’s ongoing project transforming it into a new world-leading museum of design and creativity for children and young people. Since the museum’s founding in 1872, theV&A Museum of Childhood has been a much-prized and welcoming community space for everyone. As it approaches its 150th anniversary, with a unique story to tell as East London’s first public museum, it is being reinvented through new eyes. The new V&A Museum of Childhood will become the UK’s first national museum designed by, and for, young people – a place where you can learn, create and debate together, and design for tomorrow.