Come Deck The Halls

In the exhibition Come Deck the Halls! the phenomenon of the Christmas card is central. Before the advent of the internet, the Christmas card was not only a means of congratulating your family and friends, but above all to showcase your creativity! The exhibition focuses on the Christmas cards by British architect Alison Smithson. Alison was fascinated by the Christmas party and how it was celebrated in various cultures.

At the end of her life, Alison had conceived and planned four exhibitions on the theme of Christmas. Each Christmas exhibition always highlighted one element of the Christmas celebration. Unfortunately, Alison Smithson died after the third exhibition and the fourth exhibition — about Christmas cards — was never performed. The exhibition at Van Eesteren Museum shows all Alison & Peter Smithson Christmas cards from 1976 in the context of their architecture and career. The exhibition includes Christmas workshops by Alison and Peter's daughter, Soraya Smithson.

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Alison Smithson is considered one of the most important female architects in the history of architecture. Her work is considered to be very valuable for the development of modern architecture in the second half of the twentieth century. A well-known social housing project is the recently demolished Robin Hood Gardens. Alison Smithson championed the role of women in design. As a woman, she was prominent, fighting for equal authorship as her husband Peter Smithson.

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In December 2024, the exhibition will travel to Madrid.

Curator: Ana Abalos Ramos
Thanks to: Smithson Family.

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