Blurring the line between art and design

Blurring the line between art and design

Nine groups of design works that have crossed over into the arts are presented during “X-Discipline: Designers Who Make Art” at Xspace Gallery, until June 30.

While many say the purpose of design is functionality and the most important thing in art is aesthetics or beauty, we’ve all seen art that is practical. This exhibition will take viewers to explore the question — “What is the difference between art and design?”.

Today, artists and designers are working to blur the boundaries between art and design by creating works that combine the two. Many contemporary designers add beauty, meaning, value and usage to their work while contemporary artists have incorporated functionality into their art.

The paradox is that avant-garde and contemporary artists strive to reduce aesthetics and add practicality or even industrial reproduction into art. Meanwhile, designers prioritise aesthetics, beauty, value and nobility, or even limit the number of units produced to achieve rarity. It’s becoming harder to answer the question above.

The exhibition highlights the fuzzy boundaries between art and design as shown through works by Thingsmatter, Wasinburee Supanichvoraparch, Udom Udomsrianan & Vilailak Udomsrianan, Piyawat Pattanapuckdee, Trimode Studio, Eggarat Wongcharit, Saran Yenpanya and Chookiat Likitpunyarut.

Xspace Gallery is on Pridi Banomyong 14, Sukhumvit 71, and is open Monday to Saturday from 10am to 5pm.