Giorgio Cattelan Shelf Flexa (1992)

The movement of Postmodernism in art and architecture was a period in the last quarter of the 20th century – particularly in the 1980s and 1990s – that, originating in the United States, posited itself as a counter-movement to Modernism. Often colorful and playful, designers used references to antiquity and classicism to reflect – often in an ironic manner – the tastes and dogmas of the present, or even to break them. Notable designers of Postmodernism in furniture design include members of the Italian Memphis Group, led by Ettore Sottsass. But even in the German-speaking world, many architects and designers engaged with the stylistic elements of this movement.