China goes to town

摘要

There are obvious reasons for 2008 being the year to show China Design Now, as the V&A's next exhibition is called. The Olympics mean the entire capital is gearing up with new sports buildings shining alongside a new airport and cultural buildings. The works of the European superstars are in the show - OMA's CCTV building will take pride of place in one gallery with a 3 m high model. But that is design in rather than from China, and this exhibition has a wider remit. Joint curator Hongxing Zhang, who grew up in China, started with the sense of a vibrant design culture and found himself mapping how design has reflected the changes in lifestyle and thinking in the last 20 years.