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The Chicago Athenaeum acknowledges Newson for Smeg oven and hob.

The Smeg oven and hob designed by Marc Newson are now officially listed amongst the very best of International design. The collaboration with Newson was sought by the Italian company who were determined to develop a product line with one of the most talented designers in the world of influential contemporary design.

A jury of experts from the Chicago Athenaeum, the Architecture & Design Museum, and the European centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban studies, met in New York to declare the products winners of the prestigious “Good Design 2010” award.

Already in its 60th year, the “Good Design” awards are given out once every 12 months for the most original and innovative designs which are judged on different criteria such as aesthetics, functionality and respect for the environment.

The oven and the hob, selected for the award out of hundreds of designs from all over the world, were developed by Smeg as objects that would revolutionize the traditional concept of the domestic appliance. Created as true works of art, both products express the excellence of “Made in Italy” that combines art and industrial design in objects of everyday use. 

These innovative appliances are characterised by distinctive colours and soft lines and have a strong aesthetic impact, they are also both intuitive and functional.

These features enabled the oven to win the Wallpaper “Design Awards” in 2009, a prize assigned by the respected magazine with the same name.

Together with other winning designs, the Smeg oven and hob will be exhibited at the Chicago Athenaeum in June 2011 as part of the Good Design Show.

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People, who believe that in minus zero temperatures the human mind begins to stop thinking and fall into a deep sleep, are making a big mistake.

It is a common theory that when the temperature drops well below zero degrees everything stops functioning including a person’s mind and their capability of taking on ideas about new and cutting edge design and traditionally stick to what they know.

This does not appear to be the case in Tallinn where the temperature drops to below zero for six months each year, where Elux organised an event to present Smeg to the elite designers, journalists and food critics of Estonia. The event incorporated the working use of the new cooker C91GMXI with Estonian Chef Anni Arro cooking a classic Italian dish.

The show was presented by the famous Estonian anchor Tauri Tallermaa, who discussed the philosophy and vision of Smeg. And, the grand finale, they gave away to one lucky participant, a FAB10 fridge hand painted by a famous Estonian ceramic artist Liisu Arro. Smeg would like to thank Estonia, Elux and the freezing temperatures.

Do you remember the painter who famously painted food arranged to resemble faces and human beings?  Noses were made from courgettes, cheeks were round ripe tomatoes, and hair was straw and savoy cabbage.  Not only are artists of our time following in Arcimboldo’s footsteps, but they’re also doing it with a splash, in a tasteful and refined way.

That’s precisely what culinary design is all about; breaking the rules, turning food into a purely artistic object totally stripped of its functions of taste, flavour and nutrition.  The stage at the Vendome Luxury Show in Paris was set, an event to bring together the best of today’s new trend-setters in fashion, art and design, during Fashion Week.  

Held in October 2009, the twelfth edition of Vendôme Luxury Live was born – dubbed “fooding”.  16 fridges from the 50’s Retro style line were used to store the original, imaginative creations by several international culinary designers.  Of course, Smeg was delighted to have been chosen as the backdrop for such an inspiring artistic movement including the creators of works such as “Chocolate Floors” and “Bread Handbags”. 

We’d also just like to give a small round of applause the person who holds the original copyright or trademark behind culinary design - who first decided to stick a carrot into a snowman’s head to imitate a nose – what a genius!

© 2010 by XXB