London’s Design Museum director on modern museum culture, Chinese design and his storied career
- Deyan Sudjic of London’s Design Museum will step down as director next month after a 14-year reign
- He looks back on his long career and talks about the changing role of museums, wider audience participation and the Chinese design he admires
Deyan Sudjic, the doyen of the international design world for so long, is contemplating the few months remaining before he relinquishes his position as director of the Design Museum in London.
Next month, after a 14-year reign, he will be superseded by art critic Tim Marlow. But far from retiring, Sudjic will take up the position of emeritus director, responsible for maintaining “connections with high-profile donors”.
As someone who has been at the forefront of design for so long as a curator, writer and commentator, Sudjic has extensive contacts to draw on in the ever-present pursuit of cash for cultural institutions.
During a conversation at his office, he drops the name of Zhang Xin, CEO of building developer Soho China, who he is to meet in Beijing this month; talks of “bumping into Alan Yentob”, the ex-creative director of the BBC; reminisces about having dinner with the Italian designer Ettore Sottsass; and describes visiting Stanley Kubrick’s family to prepare for the Design Museum’s recent blockbuster exhibition of his work.
He is reticent to say more, presumably because careless gossip might ruin the chances of private patronage. His networking, after all, is necessary to “grow the museum and push design up the value chain”.