From September 3 to November 17, 2024, the exhibition “Spanish Landscapes: Timeline to Design” will be on display in Taiwan, organized by the Taiwan Design Research Institute and ICEX.

Such exhibition, designed by Odosdesign, a multidisciplinary studio located in València, offers a selection of Spanish design organized in themes such as contemporary classics, current icons, Mediterranean soul or urban style, among others. It is a curation that allows us to appreciate the quality of design made in Spain. In addition to an excellent curatorship, Odosdesign has carried out a remarkable task where graphic design plays a key role in the communication of the products on display.

The timeline shown in the exhibition begins in 1930, with two products that were actually launched some years later. Inspired by Dalí’s painting “The Mae West Room“, BD Barcelona Design created a version of the “Dalilips” sofa in polyethylene in 2004. Similarly, the “Cajones” lamp is based on Dalí’s drawings for Jean-Michel Frank. Both interpretations involved Catalan architect Òscar Tusquets, a personal friend of the artist. These products are a token of the creative spirit of the 1930s.

As we move forward in this timeline, the 1960s are represented by the iconic Cesta lamp, by the recently deceased Miguel Milá and produced by Santa & Cole, the also iconic “Copenhaguen” ashtray (1966) designed by André Ricard, and the “Tong” tongs (1964), by the same designer, produced by Mobles 114. These products are part of our Classic collection, where we rescue furniture and objects from oblivion or from museum collections, as we consider them to be part of the material heritage of our culture. Notable examples are the “Torres Clavé” armchair (designed in 1934 by Josep Torres Clavé), the “Catalana” armchair (designed in 1942 by Germán Rodríguez Arias) and the “MMS” side table (from 1963 and designed by Miguel Milá), among others.

Next in our chronological tour, the exhibition takes us to the end of the 1970s with the “Tria Shelving System”. Designed in 1978 by JM Massana and JM Tremoleda, this piece has been manufactured uninterruptedly for more than 45 years. The “Tria” shelving, which is still part of the Mobles 114 collection, continues to be a benchmark in the market. Mobles 114, founded in 1973, is considered a pioneer and leading company in the world of design in Spain.

With the turn of the century, the number of products is growing significantly. An example of this is the “Ensombra” parasol, designed by Odosdesign for Gandia Blasco. As of 2014, since the number of products on display has increased exponentially, a selection from the last decade is on display.

The success of this exhibition lies in its representative selection of Spanish design, which also includes graphic and architectural pieces to differentiate it from traditional design exhibitions.

We hope that many of these products will achieve commercial success and remain on the market as design classics.

In memoriam Miguel Milá 1931 – 2024

Miguel Milá could use wit and humor intelligently. He was discreet and approachable at the same time, and his designs were as honest as he was. We wonder if these designs reflect his sense of humor. The answer, if we were to ask him, would perhaps be a wry smile. There might be no answer to this question, but we can’t ask him either because Miguel has recently left us.

“Wit and humor, like all corrosive things, must be handled with care,” wrote Georg Christoph Lichtenberg in his Notebooks.

Miguel did this brilliantly.

^{© Photography Maria Espeus}