Slideshow: A preview of This Is Not A Toy, The Design Exchange’s exhibition of conceptual toys

Slideshow: A preview of This Is Not A Toy, The Design Exchange’s exhibition of conceptual toys

The Design Exchange has hosted exhibitions dealing with everything from urban factories, to French lingerie, to the pursuit of happiness. It’s not surprising, then, that its upcoming show delves into yet another niche: the peculiar world of the conceptual toys—objects that are made not as playthings, but purely as examples of art and design.

Opening on Friday, February 7, This Is Not A Toy will feature gigantic contemporary sculptures, miniscule figurines, and a range of artwork and film by artists like Kaws, Friendswithyou, Coarse, and Huck Gee. Curators John Wee Tom and The Design Exchange’s Sara Nickelson had the help of recent Grammy winner Pharrell Williams, who is a big fan of conceptual toys.

Here’s a slideshow of some of the works that will be on display, from the intriguing to the downright bizarre. The exhibition runs until May 19, and tickets are $18.90 each.