Design and Crisis

MATERIA ARQUITECTURA #06 Dossier Design and Crisis Gui Bonsiepe Although the word crisis began to I am even less given to accept the conflictive question of redistribution appear on the media headlines only in reassuring aspect of a discourse that (Mouffe 2008, page 119). 2008 (as a consequence of the financial intends relativizing the seriousness cataclysm), the symptoms of a wider of this generalized crisis, calling it a It might be tempting to follow the and deeper crisis were evident years simple cyclic phenomenon, after which poetic-surrealistic inventions of the before. Seen from the Center, these better times will come, a new global and neo-language, whose promoters reveal crises have been called “The four digital belle époque; likewise, I reject the an overflowing creativity to construct a riders of the Apocalypse”. Slavoj Zizek threatening side of this same discourse, harmonizing image of a reality which is names them: the environmental crisis, which wants to install a climate of fear not harmonic at all, for example, when the consequences of the biogenetic finally ending in unbalancing actions the uncomfortable concept of “recession” revolution, the unbalance within the against those who rebel against the is replaced by the delightful term of system (above all the exploitation of hegemonic discourse. “negative rate of economic growth” natural resources) and the explosive (Escolar 2011), a term which is part of growth of exclusion (Zizek 2010, page A crisis offers the opportunity, and the cannon of the hegemonic thinking of 520). Seen from the Periphery, a fifth imposes an obligation, to review the financial-monetary type that has settled rider should be added: the hegemonic dominant reference frameworks in which in the last three decades in the Centre interests that crush the local needs of one has moved up to this moment. It the people who dare protest against the demands verifying its validity or the loss as well as in the Periphery. It is said, scouring of the basis of their biological of it. without hesitation, that there is a need to as well as economic survival (among adapt democracy to the market, instead others, open pit mining, exploitation of If we observe the last two decades of of asking whether it might not be more water resources to extract minerals or history, we can see, in the first place, related to the concept of democracy to monocultures with extensive use of agro a gradual erosion of public domain; adapt the market to it. toxic substances). second, an increase of the asymmetry between community and private interests There is an increase in the number of Inevitably, these crises also reflect on , and, third, the emptying of the concept justified doubts about market capacities design, on its professional practice, of democracy. as a socio-historical invention; is it the its teaching and discourse. I am most suitable tool to face the pressing not given to formulating apocalyptic This process has motivated the previsions that might foster desperation, problems humanity is facing today and emergence of voices that claim for a discouragement and fatalism, which in the future? I quote a warning from would be the expression of an attitude reinvention of the public domain as a Jürgen Habermas: that designers cannot allow themselves, democratic space and the recovery of except if they have abandoned all faith effective democracy, and not only in a “Facing the problems of the 21st Century, in being able to intervene with project nominal sense, as it happens when terms again comes up the old question whether activities in real life, however limited like “exclusion” and “inclusion” are used a civilization can allow itself to be the possibilities of concrete intervention to avoid the uncomfortable and even might seem. captured as a whole by the whirlwind 78 Translations of the driving forces of only one of its if nothing could be done to face a way “postmodern”. This current calls naïve subsystems, even though this one has of industrialization that can hardly the hope of being able to influence the become the dominant model of evolution” escape from being characterized as an network of social relationships by means (Habermas 2009, page 97) implacable process of plundering, as it is of design. It discards, as outdated, a particularly clear in the countries of the position that allows cultivating the desire This sentence shows the European context Periphery. to infringe current social relationships. in which it has been formulated. But it The place where one wants to be is criticized by the Peruvian sociologist Another significant corollary of the positioned remains at one’s personal Aníbal Quijano, who coined the concept growth of the symbolic dimension of judgment, but it would be blind to ignore “coloniality” to show the dark side of economy and the predominance of the social effects of project activities modernity and emancipation (Quintero the economist-monetarist discourse is on everyday practice. Excluding social 2010). the emergence of branding, with the conditioning programmatically from the subordination to the one dimensional project activity would lead to putting The concept “epistemic disobedience” criteria of the market. With branding socially relevant projects into quarantine. belongs to the same framework of culminates a process characterized by reference, an invitation radically to doubt a blindness in front of everything that This political dimension of design may the reference schemes of the prevailing cannot be expressed in monetary values. be explained by a comparison of the thought (Mignolo 2010, page 126), a Nobody will deny the omnipresent and contexts in the Periphery and in the concept that, compared to the dominant even crushing force of the market, but Center. The history of Latin America design practice, has not been reflected one thing is to accept it as a reality and may be useful for this. In the last decade, upon. One of the results of the current a different one, to impose it as the only most of the Latin American countries crisis might be a re-configured project reality. celebrated the bicentenary of their practice, characterized by epistemic Independence. A Second Independence disobedience, something that until Increasingly, design has been was mentioned, which reveals that the now appears like an undetermined instrumentalized by marketing, which process of Independence has not finished. eventuality; but not because of that, tends to treat design services as second There are several explanations for this. impossible. class auxiliaries. In the field of design, I will limit myself to the international this process promotes self-referentialism division of work according to which Massive unemployment and exclusion/ of unknown dimensions in previous peripheral countries are assigned the inclusion have entered the circle of times, like architecture that culminates role of exporters of commodities in the design problems. Directly confronted in “starchitecture”. The designer as a form of minerals, oil, wood, soy, meat by social problems, mainstream design person has acquired more importance or cereals which serve as input for reacts in a vehement way and, for than design itself. Between the concept industrially differentiated countries. understandable reasons, prefers to of design as a service and the doubling of Products without a project component, remain fixed to the idea of a socially design back on itself, there is a deep gap. products without design. Acting against neutral, aseptic, design. Varying one Andy Warhol’s sentences it this international division of work, the can be said that today many people think following question emerges for designers: The so publicized sustainable that design is the name of the designer. how can design contribute to increasing development will have limited autonomy or reducing heteronomy? In opportunities of success in front of a The concept of “utopia” does not have this lies the difference of project action way of thinking that considers nature a good press today. For some, it is an between the Periphery and the Center. It and human resources a capital. This anachronistic concept. It has been must be clear that this declaration does judgment must not be interpreted as a subject to criticism and even complaints, not imply a value judgment. It is about declaration of resignation, that is, as from the current of thought labelled distinction, not about judgment. 79 MATERIA ARQUITECTURA #06 Dossier A series of new design specializations art vanguard was thought about in a utility and it limits itself mainly to a and programs emerged in the process programmatic way, the relationships variety of traditional products such as of design diversification in the past between art and social space” (Giunta chairs, tables, lamps and products for decades The initial enthusiasm for 2011, page 58). A model expression the personal habitat. That has nothing experience design was motivated by of this vanguard art, of this “great to do with Duchamp’s revolutionary the illusion of opening new spaces for modernist adventure” (as it has been élan, and may possibly be the expression design. In the debate about this concept, called) were the constructivists of the of a neo-conformism that, with radical two conflicting groups became clear: first years of the soviet revolution, who gestures, leaves everything as it is. “Art facing the supporters of this type of sought to transform art forms into forms –design” finds affinity with the interests design, critics thought that it was absurd of a new everyday life (Rancière 2009, of curators who look for new exhibition to try to design this type of experience. page 14). themes which go beyond the established Experience designers felt uncomfortable form typology of pictures, installations because, apparently, the material An inverse process can be observed today and digital arts. substrate is essential in order to have as design is interpreted as an artistic experiences.

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