Exhibitions
André Ricard, pioneer of contemporary design
The Disseny Hub Barcelona vindicates the legacy of a key figure in Catalan industrial design with an exhibition dedicated to his objects, his professional career and his commitment to society.
The career of André Ricard (Barcelona, 1929), considered one of the pioneers of industrial design in Catalonia, can be summed up with one of his best-known quotes: “Designing means providing the objects we use daily with a sensible and simple form, so that they better fulfill the function they are supposed to perform”. For Ricard, who began working in the 1950s, design must contribute to improving people's quality of life and has a social value. With his proposals (packaging, tableware, lamps, small appliances or mailboxes) he wants to influence everyday life through objects created to be used, designed as tools at the service of society.
Throughout his career, Ricard has collaborated with different companies, such as Porcelanas del Bidasoa, Moulinex, Gaggia, Plásticos Tatay, Metalarte, among others. However, he especially stands out for his close collaboration since 1963 with the Puig company, for which he has designed numerous fragrance and perfume bottles. In the institutional sphere, he is known for the design of the Olympic torch for the Barcelona'92 Games, the Olympic flame cauldron for the Musée Olympique de Lausanne or the relief tokens for London 2012 and Rio de Janeiro 2016.
Olympic Torch Barcelona '92. André Ricard Sala, 1992. MADB 135880. Design Museum-DHub. Photography: Estudio Rafael Vargas.
From October 28 to March 14, 2027, the Disseny Hub Barcelona (DHub) will host the exhibition André Ricard. Design in Use , with which it claims the legacy of an indisputable reference in Catalan design and one of the most relevant figures with the greatest international projection. The exhibition, curated by Marina Povedano and Arnau Pascual, displays a careful selection of emblematic objects, timeless and domestic pieces that highlight the functionality and validity of his design above fashions and trends. With a didactic and informative approach, the exhibition delves into the principles and values of his practice, as well as his work as a theorist and communicator, and in turn invites us to rethink the role of design professionals today.
Copenhagen Ashtray. André Ricard Sala, 1966. MADB 135411. Design Museum-DHub.
In 1960, Ricard was one of the founders of the Industrial Design Association of the Promotion of Arts and Design (ADI/FAD) and a member of the International Council of Industrial Design. He has been founder and president of the Professional Designers Association, vice-president of the permanent commission of the Barcelona Design Centre, member of the Barcelona '92 Advisory Committee, design advisor to the International Olympic Committee and founder and president of Design for the World. He is also a patron of the Loewe Foundation, an honorary member of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of Sant Jordi and an academic of the Royal Academy of Sciences and Arts of Barcelona. His work has been widely recognized and awarded. He has received, among others, the first National Design Award, eleven Delta ADI/FAD awards and four Eurostars (for the best European packaging ). He has also been distinguished with the Creu de Sant Jordi of the Generalitat, the Gold Medal for Artistic Merit of the City of Barcelona, and has been named Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres and Chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur by the French government.
The DHub, which dedicates this well-deserved tribute to him this year in the form of an exhibition, holds the André Ricard Collection, with documentation covering the period 1951-2015. The collection includes a thousand documents, including images of his designs (with plans and drawings of various products such as the Olympic torch, both on paper and digitally), as well as the numerous professional and academic activities in which he has participated.
Rania Bottle. André Ricard Sala, 1967. MADB 135413. Design Museum-DHub. Photo: La Fotográfica.
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