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Wed, 15th October 2008 - Sun, 11th January 2009

The Cold War era was one of high tensions and exceptional creativity, which touched every aspect of life from everyday goods to the highest arenas of human achievement in science and culture. From the space race to the arms race, the technology of the period had a profound effect upon everything from the arts of protest to the design of the home.

Concentrating on the highly volatile years from 1945 to 1975 , the exhibition will examine the key themes of the period including the task of reconstruction in Europe after the war and the rise of consumerism. The strong influence of the Cold War upon popular culture will be shown through graphics, fashion, film and product design.

Art and design during this period played a central role in representing and, sometimes challenging, the dominant political and social ideas of the age.

The exhibition will showcase remarkable works by internationally renowned artists and designers along side the forgotten figures of the Cold War era, including rarely seen objects from Eastern Bloc countries.

Works by Alberto Giacometti, Pablo Picasso and Asger Jorn will demonstrate the strong links between the fine and applied arts of the period, charting their influence on ceramics, textiles, metalwork and print. Architecture and design will include the influential works of the Eames, the Smithsons, Le Corbusier and Buckminster Fuller, as well as major urban projects such as Berlin. The strong relationship between design and film, as evidenced in the work of Stanley Kubrick and Ken Adam, will also be examined.