Hella Jongerius has studied color in the surfaces and materials of objects and in the process of making them. The Hamburg retrospective presents both the finished product and the experiments leading up to it.
Article
A color chosen in a shop can look different at home. A shade that appealed on a small swatch may make a different impression across a large surface. Color is more than a name or number: an object's appearance changes with its material and surroundings.
Dutch designer Hella Jongerius studies color, materials, and manufacturing together. Hamburg's Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe (MK&G) is presenting the retrospective “Whispering Things” from October 23, 2026, to June 13, 2027.
Experiments beside the finished objects
The exhibition includes more than 400 objects and documents: furniture, textiles, ceramics, prototypes, sketches, collages, and films. Showing them together reveals decisions that a display of finished products alone might conceal.
“Coloured Vases” and the “Colour catchers” used in her color research, both featured in the museum's introduction, illustrate this approach. One is an object given color; the other is a tool for investigating it. Choosing an appealing result and asking how it comes about are part of the same work.
Different materials, different questions
Textiles and ceramics are made differently. Even when the chosen color is the same, its surface and production process differ. Seeing Jongerius's work across materials makes those differences part of the design.
The exhibition brings together furniture and products developed with companies alongside experimental sculptural pieces. Her research does not stop at studio samples; it continues into objects people use.
Liking an object's color may also involve its texture, weight, and the way it was made. The prototypes and sketches beside the finished works reveal those choices: the work behind a color that a single swatch cannot show.
Official introduction video
You can see the context of the work in Vitra Design Museum’s official retrospective introduction video. The video introduces the Vitra exhibition, and distinguishes the venue and schedule from the Hamburg exhibition introduced in the text.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyJFWG7PFcw
Official channel
https://www.youtube.com/@VitraDesignMuseum
Sources and editorial notes
MK&G · Hella Jongerius: Whispering Things Official Guide
Editorial note: Facts were checked against the sources above; interpretations reflect MUADAILY’s editorial perspective. Image: Vitra Design Museum · Preview of the official video introduced in the text.
Machine-translated from Korean. Read the original.
