The Videosphere portable television is one of the late twentieth century’s most iconic electronic devices. Manufactured by JVC from 1970 through the early 1980s, it renders the postwar preoccupation with space exploration in plastic and acrylic—modern materials perfectly suited to the Videosphere’s cosmic aesthetic. The TV was designed to be versatile and mobile: it rotates 360° on...

Using design objects from the current exhibition Energizing the Everyday: Gifts from the George R. Kravis II Collection and works from Cooper Hewitt’s collection, Curatorial Director Cara McCarty examines how scientific inquiry, technology, and our persistent fascination with manipulating materials—from plastics and aluminum to silicon chips and LCDs—have impacted modern industrial design, as well as...