“SAFE: Design Takes On Risk,” was the first major design exhibition at The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) since its reopening in November 2004. It featured a carefully selected array of more than 300 contemporary design objects and prototypes from all over the world designed for a variety of reasons: to respond to emergency situations; provide a sense of comfort and security; and protect body and mind from dangerous or stressful circumstances. The exhibit, which was held October 16, 2005 to January 2, 2006, featured all forms of design, including diverse physical security items such as barriers and bollards, refugee shelters, and new intercoms for the New York City subway.

The items exhibited fell into a range of broad topics that included armor, emergency, property and everyday. Included in the arrangement was Sony Electronics’ FIU-810 Puppy fingerprint identity token. The product has on-board fingerprint imaging, processing and storage, and standards-based cryptographic technology in a USB-based token.

The initial concept for the exhibition was developed prior to Sept. 11, 2001, by Paola Antonelli, organizer and curator with the help of Patricia Juncosa Vecchierini, curatorial assistant in the department of architecture and design. “Originally titled ‘Emergency,’ it focused mainly on emergency-response equipment and tools. After 9/11, the exhibition was greatly expanded to address not only how designers respond to a wider definition of risk, but also to include how they respond to emotions about safety,” Vecchierini explained.

How did the organizers choose the products to include in the exhibition? “We looked everywhere around us, from our everyday lives to design fairs and exhibitions, as well as the usual research on magazines, Web sites and publications,” Vecchierini said.

For companies such as Sony Electronics, it was an honor to be chosen for such an event. “It’s quite a credit to our designers that our token’s physical design and concept are now also being recognized,” said John Harris, marketing manager for biometrics in Sony Electronics’ media and applications solutions division, of the company’s FIU-810 Puppy device.