Dorothée BECKER (1938–2023), ‘Uten Silo’ wall organiser, for Design M, designed in 1969. Made from red ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene). H. 87 x 67 cm Various scratches on the tool holders; no manufacturer’s label. Designed in 1969 by Dorothée Becker, “Uten Silo” became one of the most iconic objects of late 1960s German design. Serving as a storage system, a decorative object and a true graphic composition, it perfectly illustrates the enthusiasm of that period for plastics and geometric shapes. Intended to be mounted on the wall, “Uten Silo” consists of an ABS plastic panel featuring a multitude of receptacles, pockets, hooks and clips of various shapes and sizes. Designed to organise small everyday items, it is equally at home in a kitchen, an office or a workshop as it is in a bathroom or a child’s bedroom. The originality of the design lies in the way Dorothée Becker transforms an extremely practical function into a true sculptural composition. The various compartments, arranged on the wall panel, create an interplay of volumes and colours that is more reminiscent of a work of kinetic art or Pop design than a simple storage accessory. The choice of moulded plastic – a material emblematic of 1960s design culture – allows Becker to give the object great formal freedom. The rounded shapes of the containers contrast with the overall geometry of the panel and create a particularly dynamic visual rhythm. With its playful aesthetic, monochrome palette and ingenious combination of storage and visual composition, ‘Uten Silo’ stands as a particularly successful example of the convergence of functionality, Pop aesthetics and formal experimentation in 1960s design.