Fantasy and Fear in Contemporary Design at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London:

The exhibition is in three sections: The Forest Glade is inspired by fantasy and nature evoking the spirit of fairytales. The Enchanted Castle exaggerates and parodies historical design styles often associated with displays of status. Heaven and Hell is concerned with themes of mortality and the afterlife.

To explore the Telling Tales sections through these above named gateways you need Flash. If you don't have Flash you can also view the exhibition objects on these pages here.

"This exhibition explores the recent trend among European designers for unique or limited edition pieces that push the boundaries between art and design. It showcases furniture, lighting and ceramics, designed by a new generation of international designers, including Tord Boontje, Maarten Baas, Jurgen Bey and Studio Job, who are all inspired by the spirit of story-telling. Each tells a tale through their use of decorative devices, historical allusions or choice of materials, sharing common themes such as fantasy, parody and a concern with mortality."

As all great exhibits have learned, creating an interactive section, drawing the viewer into and adding to the appreciative process at the site. So it is with Telling Tales:

Tell a Tale is based on the 'Exquisite Corpse' game, a collaborative creative process developed by the Surrealists in the early 20th century. To play Tell a Tale, each contributor creates part of a story by dragging and dropping words and images onto the pages of virtual books before inviting someone else to continue the tale.

For an explanation of the Surrealism-linked exquisite corpse game, visit the Surrealism lecture from the University of Alabama by Jeremy Butler.

Visit the V&A's Tell a Tale

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