27 September I started my first module at the Design Museum, I met one of my professors Donna Loveday and her colleagues. She leads the exhibition team and curate museum exhibitions at the Design Museum. In our first day, we met three members of the exhibition team who curate current exhibitions in the design museum. I was very surprised each staff of the exhibition team manages each exhibition instead of doing teamwork for one exhibition. Besides, the stuffs do not call themselves a member of exhibition but a curator. They do independent research and exhibition plans on their own but they are also supported by other colleagues and museum departments. Therefore, each exhibition shows a very clear picture of curators’ research interests and their concept of exhibition installations. In addition, they can state their names for exhibitions. It is an unusual occasion in museums and galleries. Because museum and gallery exhibitions are about how to present results of teamwork rather than one man’s achievement, so audiences do not see a specific name of exhibition teams but an exhibition department or a museum is shown on the theme wall.
After three curators of exhibition team shared their curating experiences in the Design Museum, we had a quick tour in the museum. One of my favourite exhibitions was Kenneth Grange’s retrospective. Kenneth Grange is an iconic product designer in the UK. His design products include a large range of everyday objects, from Wilkinson razors to Parker pens, from bucket of Boots to Kodak cameras. His works also have involved in Londoners' daily life in half century: Intercity trains, bus stops and benches, and also, the London taxi cab. Kenneth Grange's retrospective gave me a clear picture to review the birth of British design icons and the legacy of this iconic designer in the UK.
I have not heard Kenneth Grange until I visited the Design Museum. I was very impressed Mr. Grange had done a lot of design works which is still presenting the images of the UK. Curator Gemma Curtin leaded us to view briefly the achievement of Kenneth Grange in making Britain Modern by exhibition objects and installation. She also has explained her idea of arranging Mr. Grange’s first retrospective in the UK. Gemma tried to present Mr. Grange’s works by his drafts, models and real products. Therefore, there are many priceless models and drafts, which are borrowed from Mr. Grange, are shown in the exhibition. We also can see a real taxi cab, bus stops and parking meters are installed in the exhibition. For some huge design products, for example, the High Speed trains and the BP patrol pump are presented by illustrations and posters.
