In the popular narrative of architecture and design in the second half of the 20th century the phrase 'Postmodern' is widely used; a wide use, and an equally wide, unquestioning, popular acceptance of what is meant, that all too often not only blinds us all to the heterogeneity of the period but also impedes meaningful debate and discussion on the motivations, positions and realities of that period. And on the lessons of the period. With Bold and Beautiful. Estonian private houses from the
read moreArguably little characterises contemporary society, certainly contemporary European society, better than our relationship with sleep. And, arguably, little charts the path of human society, again certainly European society, better than the (hi)story of our relationship with sleep. With the exhibition Uneversum: Rhythms and Spaces the Estonian Museum of Applied Art and Design, Tallinn, explore and reflect upon sleep, spaces of sleep, rhythms of sleep, and for all on our relationships with
read moreAccording to Germanic folklore, "If December is wild with rain, then leave your fields and get thee to an architecture or design museum" Our five locations for escaping the rains of December 2023 can be found in Cottbus, Rome, Maastricht, Tallinn and Zürich....... "Else Mögelin. Ich wollte, gegen alle Hindernisse, weben" at the Brandenburgisches Landesmuseum für moderne Kunst, Dieselkraftwerk, Cottbus, Germany In context of their 2019 exhibition Unknown Modernism the Brandenburgisches
read more"What August dosen't do, September puts right"1 declared Johann Wolfgang Goethe. And loathed as we are to contradict Goethe. He’s wrong. August may be a time when one can allow oneself a little more freedom than the rest of the year; however, that which we call life is the actions, experiences, leanings, emotions of each month consecutively and sequentially building on, informing and evolving one-another, a month of inactivity is a month of moments missed, and hoping that September can in
read moreLike gardens mottled with the vibrant leaves of autumn, so too is November 2017 bestrewn with a multicoloured carpet of new design and architecture exhibitions. We could have published three such lists, seriously considered it .... have however instead taken the opportunity to bring our monthly recommendations average up to where it should be. Five. Back in August we only had four new recommendations, and so to compensate summer's shortfall, here we present six, technically seven. Although it
read moreAs Noël Coward famously observed, only mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun, and it takes a similarly laissez-faire approach to life to open an exhibition in August. Everyone, but everyone, it would appear is on holiday. Or has at least like Coward's caribous, lain down for a snooze. Which is probably why the majority of the following five exhibitions open in late August, so after the sun has ceased to be much too sultry such that one must avoid its ultry-violet ray. "Shelter:
read more