People’s Power Station by Matt Hope
Spiritual structuring is the theme of The Solutions: International Design Exhibition, or, in Chinese simply Tao, one of three exhibitions at the 2011 Chengdu Biennale examining how design responds to rapid changes of reality.
The exhibition is curated by Ou Ning, founder of the Get it Louder Exhibition and chief curator of the 2009 Shenzhen & Hong Kong Bi-city Biennake of Urbanism / Architecture and a man known for his chutzpah. Ou invited 30 exhibitors of manufacturing, architecture, fashion, visuals and new media.
"We've utilized the creativity of design to experiment and react to the exhibition agenda," Ou said.
Two designers, Liu Jing and Matt Hope elaborated on past and present projects at an early preview of the large-scale exhibit, running from September 30 till October 30.
Social engineering
Since the Industrial Revolution, design has serviced the commissioner, Ou said.
"This kind of relationship restricts design to demonstrate its subjectivity and autonomy. In other social models, such as socialism, it is utilized by a larger state apparatus and thus becomes the component in the production and promotion system, regardless of its subjectivity and autonomy."
"What is design? And where is its freedom?" Ou asked, positing the idea that accepting largesse then barely bothering to fulfill obligations is acceptable, as long as "one" is "free."
Archigram, a London-based avant-garde architecture group formed in the 1960s, have spared no effort getting rid of such traditional employment relationships. "They've written quite a few drafts about experimental architectural projects, trying to construct their radical Utopia," said Ou.
"Peter Cook, a member of Archigram, planned his artwork Instant City and Blow-out Village in 1966... [to solve] past urban problems."
Good design hopes to exceed beyond its constraining material layers and enter the level of social engineering—its ultimate purpose, Ou said.
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