That's How It Happened

"Charioteered T. Depleted" is the funniest name for a spam emailer I've received all weekend. I have been out to the Design Museum to see this year's Conran Foundation Collection. Mr Conran has entrusted Thomas Heatherwick with £30k to spend on items he'd "like to live with". Unlike Marc Newson who frittered the cash on antique surfboards, Hetherwick has found 1000 entirely frivolous "objets". They range from a barrister's horsehair wig, to a variety of innovative feminine hygeine products. Most of the collection has come from London, Berlin, Beijing and Tokyo, with a smattering of items from US funeral parlours. Too many of the items in the collection achieve form and function, but have a very silly function. It's a celebration of chindogu, instead of real practical modern design. Even if you don't enjoy design for design's sake I would recommend this show. Just assembling thirty grand's worth of rather pointless things is an enlightening adventure in consumerism.