June 29, 2011

Do you know how the bath has evolved over the years? WaterDream: The Art of Bathroom Design, a new exhibit, has opened at the Museum of Design Atlanta (MODA) and will run until September 24, 2011. Organized by the international design exhibition curator Bangert Verlag and sponsored by Axor, the exhibition is a four-part visual exploration of the evolution of the bath from the early 19th century Europe to today.

The exhibit begins in Victorian England and the French Belle Epoque era, the period in which bath design and industrial production combined efforts. In this era of technological advancement, the bath was regarded as the latest achievement of cultural modernity. In the WaterDream exhibition, a graphic timeline demonstrates important milestones in the process by which baths became a luxurious interior space created jointly by engineers and designers. From porcelain bowls and pitchers in the late 19th century, to the mass marketing of colorfully designed products in the 1970s, to the creation of today’s cutting-edge modern shower technologies, the exhibit guides viewers through history.

Visitors will also learn how Philippe Starck in collaboration with manufacturers Axor, Duravit and Hoesch, approached the bath in the early 1990ss when he transformed the space from a small obscure room into a relaxing retreat. Starck’s work signaled a turning point in bath design by creating rooms that expressed a spectrum of moods and expressions, rather than just creating a rational and utilitarian space.

Another gallery in WaterDream will showcase the contributions to bath design made by Patricia Urquiola from Milan, and Jean-Marie Massaud and Rowan & Erwan Bouroullec from France. This gallery will demonstrate how, in 2005, the Axor brand challenged these European designers to bring the bath closer to nature and be more mindful of its resources.

The final gallery is dedicated to modern bath culture and design. Images, products and projections of contemporary designs will give visitors insight into fantasy baths, such as those designed by Philippe Starck in the SLS hotel in Beverly Hills, as well as the modern baths aboard the Florida-based Lazzara Yachts, and those with a more traditional aesthetic in the Queen Mary II ocean liner.