Design by Accident: A Group Show Inspired by a 1968 Book

The Berlin project space Croy Nielsen, run by Henrikke Nielsen and Oliver Croy, organized a group exhibition titled "Design by accident" (January 20–February 17, 2007) by sending artists a copy of James F. O'Brien's 1968 book "Design by accident" and asking them to respond freely. The book is a catalog of random forms, stains, drips, and folds intended to inspire creativity, reflecting late-1960s psychedelic and perceptual theory. The resulting show, held in a private apartment, features works that humorously engage with accidental image-making. Christine Würmell photographs iTunes' visualizer whenever the word "power" appears in John Lennon's "Power to the People." Ernst Caramelle contributes a note and two pieces of foam board used as a palette. Klaus Weber suspends mushrooms above paper, letting spores create black sun patterns. Marie Jager places a canvas behind a diesel car exhaust pipe. Ceal Floyer shows her familiar felt-tip stains. Michael Stevenson fuses two ceramic ornaments from a Max Taut building into an improbable vase. The exhibition later traveled to Flaca in London (March 24–April 11, 2007). The show demonstrates that a simple, generous curatorial prompt can yield coherent, intelligent results without falling into literalism.