Review by Marina Funcasta

Tickets available here

Dovecot’s latest exhibition, presenting itself as “magical” and “playful”, promises a vibrant overview of 60 years of IKEA’s textile design. These terms specifically stood out to me for their enigmatic quality, appealing to the sort of whimsy found in a toy shop at Christmas. And yet, organising the fabrics in circular alcoves, the colours of the textiles work to create the same wonder a child would expect in Santa’s grotto. Draped in cascading shapes across the three rooms of the exhibition, the textiles guide us through the space like waterfalls of colour.

Seeming to flow from one another effortlessly, each textile bringing forth a subsequent shape, style or design. Conceding to the ambition of its ‘scope’, the curators are aware of how many different styles and historical periods these pieces are drawing from. What emerges is a kaleidoscope of colour, shapes, and textures, rich in technical variation and sophisticated in their reach: it is almost impossible to leave with any doubt as to the artistry of IKEA’s manufacturing history, be it from the linear precision of the 10-gruppen, or Dovecot’s own inclusion of the Zandra Rhodes collaboration.

This latter addition is a particular highlight: despite being subtly cushioned in a corner towards the end of the exhibit, pieces from her collection KARISMATISK (2019), the fuchsia pinks and silken prints illuminate the final room, underscoring the contemporary resonance of colour and personality which continues to carry the current of IKEA’s design.

At points, this vivid river of an exhibit tends to branch off into confused, sticky streams. Indeed, the sheer volume of textiles is both a strength and a downfall. Referring to the plethora of designers navigating the company’s aesthetic, I couldn’t help but crave more context. The scarcity of informative plaques, while important in allowing the fabrics to speak for themselves, resulted in a somewhat messy exposition. Finding myself incapable of tracing the designer of each textile, it is up to the viewer to make sense of the styles and how they fit together under one roof. For me, this meant a bit of a jarring clash between the different decades.

Though this risk may have paid off for the more inspired visitor, a history-nerd myself, I felt the exhibition wanting in this aspect – but then again, having just returned from a Bauhaus-inspired holiday in Dessau, my thoughts meandered mainly on the practicalities of design practices, rather than the aesthetic. Admittedly, reference was made to the industrial mechanisms which allowed for the textiles production, although this was performed so fleetingly that the very important sociological and political points raised from these sections were drowned by the vibrancy of their surrounding textiles.

This point aside, the exhibition is truly a delight. From bananas, to broccolis, and stripes to squiggles, there is something in this for everyone. And even if it did leave me with questions, what work of art doesn’t!

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