BY Keith Recker | May 12, 2011

NYC’s Museum of Modern Art and the Tipsy Tray

The streets of Istanbul are rich not just with history, but with modern life, too.  New York City’s Museum of Modern Art was drawn to Istanbul for just this combination. Starting in May 2011,  MoMA ‘s retail division will show you the fruits of their Istanbulophilia in the form of Destination Design: Istanbul.

MoMA’s curators and their retail colleagues, led by doyennes Kathy Thornton-Bias (General Manager) and Bonnie Mackay (Director of Merchandising, Creative and Marketing), have traveled to eight locations in recent years in pursuit of MoMA’s Destination Design program. Each collection represents discoveries of existing product as well as collaborations between up-and-coming local designers and the MoMA team.  Previous Destination Design programs include: Finland, Denmark, Buenos Aires, Berlin, Japan, Seoul, Brazil, and Portugal. The program’s destination for 2012 has not yet been revealed.

This year the stand-out product is called the Tipsy Tray, which represents a modern take on an Istanbul classic. You’ll see tea trays everywhere in Istanbul. Any tea or coffee order is delivered to the table (or down the street to the barber in need of a pick-me-up) on a bar tray supported by a sort of wire cradle. No one spills a drop, and coffee is served with élan and elegance.
 

MoMA worked with Turkish designer Koray Ozgen on their updated version. He and Bonnie Mackay discussed their collaboration with HAND/EYE Magazine.

HAND/EYE:  How have traditional tea trays been made new in the Tipsy Tray?

Koray Ozgen: Older versions were made in brass or copper, handcrafted in a circular form with metal handles welded together. I tried to reinterpret this typical everyday object by re-considering its functional, ergonomic and visual characteristics in order to come up with a practical and playful tray for daily use. Adding a folding, removable handle has advantage of making the tray more compact when not in use.

H/E: Why is the form of the traditional tea tray important...is it something that was (or is) so ubiquitous in Istanbul that it provokes a shiver of pleasant, kitschy nostalgia? Or does it have even older references back to Ottoman times?

KO: Function lies behind its old traditional form. Although historical documents depict this object as being found in Istanbul, this tray existed all across the Mediterranean for centuries. With time, it became associated with the identity of Istanbul. A pendulum effect results from the rigidity of the handles, making it almost impossible to spill liquids. It is like a visual demonstration of physics. Even if you swing this tray when it’s filled with cups, the glasses will maintain their balance.

H/E: Why did you focus on this this product?

KO: When I was a child, I was fascinated by the tea sellers in the streets of Istanbul. They held the glasses on pendular trays without spilling any tea. First, I thought it was evidence of a personal talent, but I later realized that the pendular effect resulted from the rigidity of the handles. I consider this object an ignored typology. It makes me happy to see this tray in stores and in the public eye, as I feel as if I have accomplished a cultural mission.

H/E: Bonnie, why did you select the Tipsy Tray as part of the Destination: Istanbul collection?

Bonnie Mackay: The Tipsy Tray is Istanbul to me. It is the men carrying trays of coffee and tea glasses across the stone streets. There are no take away shops. No plastic, paper or styrofoam cups thrown on the street. There are no walkers balancing cell phones and takeout coffee. The shop keepers and magazine stand owners call their tea or coffee orders into small, discreet kiosks where the orders are taken and delivered promptly… and the drinks always arrive piping hot.
 

Koray has beautifully customized a beloved object for the international audience. The shape is squared to fit into a smaller space. The edge of the tray is turned up to prevent cups from sliding off – which in Istanbul would never happen. Koray is a excellent designer whose creations reflect the soul of a great city.

Visit MoMA’s website at www.momastore.org, where Destination Design: Istanbul will be front and center for most of May 2011.