Background
If paint is the most personalised form of finish, Teflon is one that repels all forms of contact. Over the past century a whole range of coatings have been developed to make objects more hygienic and antiseptic. The porcelain enamel coating of the early 20th-century bathtub in is a prime example.
Each of the above themes features its own specially designed installation in the exhibition, spread over the large exhibition space on the ground floor of Het Nieuwe Instituut. Traces of Designing the Surface can also be found in the lobby and the areas around the building. After all, the surface is all around us. On the objects in the exhibition, but also on the cars in the adjoining car park, the park bench, the façade of Sonneveld House, the book cover, the cup in the café, the floor in the exhibition space, the raincoat in the cloakroom, the mobile phone screen, the lips of a visitor.