ORNAMENT IS (not a) CRIME!
As a response to deTour 2021’s curatorial theme, this year’s RIBA Talk! is ‘ORNAMENT IS (not a) CRIME!(?)’. The title takes its cue from a 1910 lecture by Adolf Loos on the relationship between two seemingly bipolar design elements: human emotion vs function driven aesthetics.
The Prince of Wales famously described the proposed National Gallery extension by Richard Rogers as a “monstrous carbuncle”, a remark that reflected a distaste for modern functional design which lacks elements that celebrate the decorative craft and is insensitive to human scale. Yet, recent history has cemented the position of functional modernism – an outcome of the Industrial Revolution that gave rise to the mass-produced machine-made materials that surround our cities today.
With the design community facing new challenges ranging from integrating sustainability to embracing technological advancements, it’s time to focus and explore healthy responses. Don’t miss this much-needed debate on the relationship between functional design and the enigmatic, emotionally resonant human aesthetics.
HOST(S)
Thomas Chung
Associate Professor, School of Architecture, CUHK
SPEAKER(S)
Jason Hilgefort
Founder, Land and Civilization Compositions
Sara Klomps
Director, Zaha Hadid Architects
Justin Lau
Project Director, Oval Partnership
Kay Wong
Creative Director, Fashion Clinic
Alvin Yip
Visiting Professor, CAFA
