creative crossing

Cologne, October 6th 2009 – There’s a new arrival in Cologne’s design family: CONTAIN Gallery selected design editions is Cologne’s first gallery focused on young international design. From now on there is a place in the heart of Cologne’s creative Belgian Quarter for exhibitions from the progressive world of young design.

The opening exhibition “Utopie jetzt! / utopia now!“ deals with the utopian idea of an allegedly refined society – contradicted by a cross-section of modern urban lifestyle.

A forum for young and modern design – this is CONTAIN Gallery’s mission statement. Alternating topical exhibitions present international up-and-coming artists and their exclusive prototypes, progressive design concepts and limited editions. Carefully selected pieces will also be available in the Gallery Shop.

A lasting experience – The first and foremost idea at CONTAIN Gallery’s inception was to create a location for creative encounters and exchanges.
Gallery owner Ioanna Paraskeva was formerly responsible for PR & Communications at www.DESIGNSPOTTER.com – Europe’s biggest online design portal. For over three years she collected international contacts as well as gained a lot of experience in the world of design and exhibitions. Under the DESIGNSPOTTER label she organized three major trade exhibitions at the international furniture fair imm cologne and recently communicated with 52 young international artists.

A step back is a step forward – Digitally dealing with design on a day-to-day basis led to her desire to give design talents and their products an opportunity to become permanently touchable and come alive in sophisticated surroundings. She took a conscious leap from a breathless digital world right into the decelerated, clear spaces in Cologne’s Aachener Str 29.

„Utopie jetzt! / utopia now!“ – The current exhibition’s theme is reflected in the creations of young international designers. Utopia is an idea of an allegedly refined society – contradicted by a cross-section of modern urban lifestyle and it occasionally collides with a constantly growing examination of one’s sensitivities and responsibilities.

The scope of exhibited products reaches from Barcelona to Bulgaria, from vehement weapons to enlightened surveillance. What these products have in common are the juxtapositioning of realities. Manga figurines in golden and platinum hand-painted porcelain clothes; a super-sized Kalashnikov in admonishing red; a floor lamp with surveillance cameras as shiners.

All these and lots of other exciting designs formulate an international interpretation of meaning, value and use. Objects and their meta-concepts float free, sometimes provocatively, sometimes ironically. In any case they animate the viewer to give some thought to own ideas on how to improve the world we live in.