Stefan Sagmeister combines artwork and information in a brand new present
All artwork from Beautiful Numbers by Stefan Sagmeister, courtesy of the Thomas Erban Gallery. All pictures: Andreas Vesterlund
Many people would not normally interact with data firsthand. However, over the past year, most of us have been navigating graphs and statistics on a regular basis. Much of this data has to do with a time of fear, fear, and tragedy, but Stefan Sagmeister's new work, Beautiful Numbers, uses data to paint a more uplifting picture of the world.
For the exhibition, the designer translated data from society and politics from 100 years into simple graphics. These were then embedded in a range of new contexts, from hand-painted water glasses and 19th-century paintings to lenticular prints and embroidered canvases.
The idea behind the project came about after Sagmeister had discussed politics with a lawyer. "He told me that what we are seeing now in Hungary, Poland and Turkey, but also in Brazil and the USA, really is the end of liberal democracy," he explains. “So I looked it up after dinner! When did modern democracy begin? How has it evolved over the past two centuries? Where are we now?
“Well, in 1821 there was probably only one democracy, the United States. In 1921, after the First World War, there were already 18 democratic countries. In 2021 we now have 96 democratic countries. For the first time in human history, more than half of the world's population lives in a democracy. Not only are we not seeing the end of liberal democracy, we are also living in the absolute golden age of liberal democracy. How is it possible that a highly educated person can so completely misunderstand the world he lives in? This seemed like an interesting question to spend more time on. "
Rather than focusing on the problems societies around the world are facing, the work focuses attention on the way they have evolved. "Short term media like Twitter and hourly news give the impression of a runaway world with democracy at risk, pervasive conflict and a general perspective of doom," says Sagmeister. “But if we look at developments in relation to the world from a long-term perspective – the only way that makes sense – almost every aspect of humanity seems to be getting better. Fewer people go hungry, fewer people die in wars and natural disasters, more people live in democracies – and live much longer – than ever before. Two hundred years ago nine out of ten people could neither read nor write; now it is only one in ten. "
Sagmeister sees a continuation of his design practice in Beautiful Numbers: “I look at a very large topic and see how I can make this communicable. It's shown in an art gallery because I want people to see the pieces, buy them, and hang them over their sofas. I would consider the project a failure if nobody does that. "
Beautiful Numbers by Stefan Sagmeister can be seen until May 15th at the Thomas Erben Gallery in New York. thomaserben.com