Design and the elastic mind

Flight patterns by Aaron Koblin


There was the lecture at the LACMA tonight by the curator of recent MOMA exhibition Design and the elastic mind. The curator, Paola Antonelli, was able to deliver clear and sharp explanation about her approach to the curating as a tool of education for general public by pointing out the most recent design movement happening across the world, mainly the collaboration between art, design, and science. Most of the projects she mentioned, which was part of the exhibition, is one of the very inspiring and first work in design field from sensory interaction to biology and nature inspired algorithm processing.

Although the content wasn't that new for me, I am glad that this show happened in very right time when the design discourse started to diverge itself from modernist view to something that doesn't have its title yet. Well, it is hard to put any title since a lot of design outcome is not only from single person or single field, but borrowing ideas to apply into the relavent context. At the same time, her explanations of the intention of the show and list of the project, which was simple enough to understand was also another great part of the lecture. Yes, this is happening as a new flow, and not that many people are aware of it...Although once introduced, and after changing paradigm of how to design, which is not single goal oriented, but more of engagement or inspiration from different fields, this will happen everywhere by everyone.

One thing that reminded me from this specific show, and how technology oriented design is happening, and how all things will be easier yet harder, kind of makes me think how this will change not only people think but also change the social or economical structure of the world - which reminds me reprap project... Right now, it is barely making the baby step, but if things goes more open and user oriented, maybe we may not buy any more stuff, but we will start to make what is necessary for ourselves.. with simplified manufacturing system aided by rapid prototype.

On the other side, all these things also can end up as one of utopian dream - I am thinking of story of babylon, that when people spoke the same languages, it became total chaos.. technology, which is universal, is another same language that we can all speak.. hopefully - or there will be some kind of hierarchy oriented by the access to the technology or understanding level of it to use or appropriate it for individual purpose.....

Exhibition Website