The Shakers: A World in the Making

Curators: Mea Hoffmann, Shoshana Resnikoff, Ringle, Zoë Ryan
Exhibition design: Formafantasma

An 18th-century American free church movement influences generations of artists, architects, and designers worldwide. The Shakers, a religious group, use design and architecture to express core beliefs related to community, labour, and social equality. The exhibition “The Shakers: A World in the Making” explores how these principles result in meticulously crafted furniture and vernacular architecture that continue to resonate centuries later.

The exhibition presents a broad selection of Shaker furniture, architectural elements, tools, and commercial goods, alongside newly commissioned works by contemporary artists and designers. It examines the complex social, material, and spiritual context that shapes the so-called “Shaker style” and considers the relevance of its values today.

Organised by the Vitra Design Museum, the Milwaukee Art Museum, the Institute of Contemporary Art Philadelphia, and the Wüstenrot Foundation in collaboration with Shaker Museum.