“Para Que Servem as Coisas?” (What are things for?) is the new long-term exhibition at MUDE – Museu do Design, in Lisbon, which aims to reinterpret the history of design through a retrospective journey from 1900 to 2020.

More than highlighting the diversity of MUDE’s collection ­— which includes product design, fashion, graphics, scene and contemporary jewelry by national and international authors from different generations and origins — the new exhibition aims to question how and why objects are designed, communicated, perceived and consumed. Aims to create dialogues between design and documentation, highlighting issues that cross-cut different eras and inviting debate about past practices and their projection into the future of each era.

With 19 exhibition areas, the exhibition occupies the third floor of the museum, being complemented on the fourth floor, with four projects that show design in dialogue with cinema, theater, music and sculpture.

The exhibition design launches a new challenge for museography, reusing materials from the renovation work on the MUDE building, with the intention of reducing waste as much as possible and promoting a circular economy.

Until November 3, entry to MUDE is free, subject to space capacity.

Programming and curation: Bárbara Coutinho

Research and curatorial assistance: Inês Correia, Anabela Becho, Inês Matias, Madalena Galvão, Conceição Toscano, Pedro Oliveira, Daniela Esteves, Ana Maria Cunha, Carolina Santana, Madalena Carita, Patrícia Ferreira, Vera Brito

Exhibition design: Coletivo Warehouse