In his first exhibition at F2 Galería, Miki Leal journeys through 20th-century industrial design, lingering at four moments of special interest for the artist.

The Wiener Werkstätte was a group of visual artists, architects and designers from 1903 Vienna. Their aim was to train professionals in different artistic disciplines and included activities such as the experimental application of avant-garde designs on artisanal fabrics. “For the exhibition, I was interested in a 1925 poster advertising the sale of the textile designs. My drawing stems from the original poster, but aspires to become the cartoon for a possible tapestry-carpet design.”

Raymond Loewy (Paris, 5th November 1893 – Monte Carlo, Monaco, 14th July 1986) was one of the most renowned industrial designers of the 20th century. Born and raised in France, he spent his entire career in the United States, where he is considered the father of modern industrial design. Raymond Loewy entitled his autobiography “Never Leave Well Enough Alone”, a title that Miki Leal borrows for this exhibition. Together with the title, Leal presents three large-format pieces by that cast a cross-sectional look over the key moments of Loewy’s artistic path – which as he puts it, “are in tune with my way of understanding ‘what is beautiful’”.

Charles Eames (1907-1978) and Ray Eames (1912-1988), married in 1941, designers-architects-artists. They turned their home into a centre for generating ideas and products. For the Eameses, designing was a process that could succeed only by connecting society’s demands, clients’ needs and designer’s interests – which would bring about the development of products that were useful for all three. Miki Leal presents a polyptych consisting of 10 small-sized works that combines their biography with their work as designers – in essence, the only way of understanding their career. It starts with an image of the Eameses’ wedding, continuing with some of their most famous pieces (curved wooden chair, ‘Billy Wilder’ chaise longue, videos for IBM…). The series ends with an image of the Eameses’ workshop-home in Santa Monica.

The Memphis Group was a very influential architecture and industrial design movement during the 1980s. Founded by Ettore Sottsass in December 1980, it was disbanded in 1988. “I am interested in it as a symbol of the kind of design which could lead to anti-design – a children’s game for a group of architects-artists who have fun creating anti-classical models.” The piece “Pyramids of Memphis - Tympanun” was created to be presented as an item of furniture, hence the place assigned to it in this exhibition.

F2 Galería

Doctor Fourquet 28.
Madrid 28012 Spain
Ph. +34 91 5048106
info@f2galeria.com
www.f2galeria.com

Opening hours

Thursday - Friday from 10:00am to 7:00pm
Saturday from 11:00am to 14:30pm

Related images

1 & 3 Miki Leal, Lo Feo No Se Vende, installation view
2 Plywood, Mi Silla, 2014. Acrylic and watercolour on paper. 53 x 77 cm
4 Proyecto Para Una Alfombra, 2014. Acrylic and watercolour on paper. 220 x 152 cm
5 De Cómo Todo Es Posible, 2014. Acrylic and watercolour on paper. 220 x 152 cm
6 Porcelana Rosenthal, Encargo De Rosenthal