The London exhibition examines the role of design during the Cold War

London - The Cold War was fought not only in politics and military exercises but also on the battlefield of consumer product design. Such is the premise of the exhibition at London's Victoria and Albert Museum, which presents to visitors 300 artifacts from the years 1945 to 1970. Many of them originate from then Czechoslovakia.
The exhibition contrasts straightforward propaganda with the clean lines of everyday consumer objects and with the artistic works that illustrate the era. Thus, in the well-known London museum, visitors can see, for example, a poster by Vojtěch Němeček from the 1950s reading "Build your homeland, strengthen peace," as well as top-quality glass by Stanislav Libenský, collages by Jiří Kolář, and a model of the transmitter and hotel on Ještěd, which according to the exhibition's creators belongs to the underappreciated gems of Czechoslovak architecture.
"Consumer goods and their appearance were one of the battlegrounds of the Cold War," said the exhibition's curator David Crowley to ČTK. "This was especially during the thaw after Stalin's death in 1953. This significant competition in the design of cars, houses, and consumer goods is often forgotten," he added. He reminded, among other things, of the famous exhibition of American consumer goods in 1959 in Moscow. The United States aimed to demonstrate the superiority of capitalism.
There is also a photograph from the Moscow exhibition in London, showing then-American Vice President Richard Nixon examining a model American kitchen alongside Soviet Communist Party leader Nikita Khrushchev. At that time, Nixon told him it would be better if both sides competed in who had better washing machines rather than who had stronger missiles. Khrushchev, suspiciously examining the exhibits, supposedly remarked: "We have such things too."
The period after World War II was one of fears and anxieties, but also of great optimism, an effort to build a new world, and unprecedented technological development, all influenced by the Cold War. "It was a very exciting period in design history, which we labeled as Cold War modernism," stated museum director Mark Jones.
"We aimed to show how objects were used as tools to promote socialist modernity. But at the same time, we wanted to emphasize that there were many talented people in the East, and we wanted to counter the general perception of grayness and scarcity associated with communist countries," said curator Crowley.
"The most significant artistic glass was made in Czechoslovakia in the 1960s, and that's why we wanted to bring works by Stanislav Libenský and Jaroslava Brychtová to London,” he added. He also pointed out the tower on Ještěd designed by architect Karel Hubáček, which he considers "an amazing architectural achievement that is not well known - even in Central Europe."
Even if a visitor sets aside the main theme of the exhibition, they can embark on a journey back in time to revive or get acquainted with the world of objects that co-created the contemporary environment.
One can clearly see the fascination with plastic, and alongside ordinary consumer objects, there is, for instance, the P70 coupé, the predecessor of the later Trabant, as well as contemporary futuristic novelties - space exploration-inspired models of clothing by Paco Rabanne - and inflatable furniture. The exhibits also recall films that characterized the images of the time - for example, furniture used in Stanley Kubrick's film 2001: A Space Odyssey is on display.
And why does the exhibition end in 1970? "In the 1950s and 60s, there was a very close connection between the politics of the Cold War and modernism. After 1970, this close relationship breaks," explains Crowley.
According to exhibition co-author Jane Pavitt, in the battle between capitalism and communism, consumption may have ultimately triumphed. “It became an incredibly powerful force. But if it is the winner, it is an empty victory. Are we replacing ideology with shopping? That is the main question for the 21st century,” said Pavitt.