A new exhibition, The Shakers: A World in the Making, examines the 18th-century American religious group’s design and architecture, which were expressions of beliefs surrounding community, labour and social equality, and were hailed for their radical simplicity, as well as their innovative use of standardisation and serial production.
Bringing together a wide range of Shaker furniture, architectural elements, tools and commercial goods, paired with newly commissioned works by contemporary artists and designers, the exhibition reveals the complex social, material and spiritual context that created the ‘Shaker style’, and what possibilities its values offer today.
Designed by Milan-based studio Formafantasma, the exhibition brings together more than 150 original objects, most of which have been loaned from the Shaker Museum in Chatham, New York. It is organised by the Vitra Design Museum, the Milwaukee Art Museum, the Institute of Contemporary Art Philadelphia, and the Wüstenrot Foundation.
Mea Hoffmann, co-curator of the exhibition, said: The Shakers: A World in the Making looks at the Shaker legacy, both in terms of the group’s design and worldview, from a contemporary perspective, inviting artists and designers to explore what the Shaker world might have to offer us today. The different expertise of each institution involved in the exhibition has resulted in an enriching collaboration that bridges not only an ocean but also connects contemporary artists and designers in a dynamic dialogue that reflects on the enduring relevance of the Shakers.’
Following its premiere at the Vitra Design Museum (see further details below), the exhibition will be presented at the Milwaukee Museum of Art (25 September 2026 – 31 January 2027), the Institute of Contemporary Art in Philadelphia (31 January – 9 August 2026) and in further international museum venues.
The Shakers: A World in the Making, runs from 7 June 2025 until 28 September 2025, at the Vitra Design Museum on the Vitra Campus in Weil am Rhein, Germany.
