Ron Arad - Before and After   by Carina Villinger His studio in Como, Italy, founded in 1994, works to adapt his designs for mass production, while the One Off Ltd. workshop in London continues to produce the more individual pieces. Starting out as an outsider, Arad has become an established member of the academic design community. He has held professorships for furniture and industrial design at the Royal College of Art, London, since 1997, and his pieces are now in the collections of the Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, the Tel Aviv Museum, and other major institutions. The mini-retrospective in the V&A illustrates the connection between art, design and architecture that is characteristic of Arad's work, and which makes his pieces unique. Displayed on mirrored glass pedestals that replicate the voluptuous forms of the Big Easy and Rolling Volume, the installation's appearance suggests a tidal wave that has washed in from the busy road outside and splashed down the entrance hall, leaving objects to swim around apparently at random. Unfortunately, the lack of space around the objects does not allow them to present their sculptural features to best advantage, and rather cramps their style. A slightly confusing computer program, designed by Arad himself, is provided to give insight into Arad's creative process and working methods, and also features some of his architectural projects. The text, which apparently feels the need to explain and even justify this installation, makes some far-fetched comparisons between the relics kept in precious boxes in the medieval collections, and Arad's own box projects. Precisely what one is meant to put in these as the modern equivalent, however, remains slightly obscure: a comparison between medieval workshop techniques and Ron Arad's modern craftsmanship seems unnecessary, and leaves the visitor slightly irritated. Despite these drawbacks, this exhibition is certainly a must for design aficionados and also an excellent opportunity to juxtapose some of the earlier works of twentieth-century design in the V&A permanent collections with Arad's cutting edge contemporary work. The museum shop offers some of his smaller objects for sale, including 'The Soundtrack', a CD storage system that combines mobility with storage in the witty manner typical of Arad. In addition, visitors wishing to create a piece of furniture with Ron Arad's assistance may contact the Vitra Design Museum in Germany for details of their workshops with Arad and other modern artists/designers. Victoria & Albert Museum Cromwell Road South Kensington, London SW7 2RL tel: 020-7942 2526 www.vam.ac.uk.  Carina Villinger is Expert for 20th Century Decorative Arts & Design at Sotheby's, London.