The Swiss Serif

"Ettore Sottsass, the great architect and designer, saw design as a way to discuss life: “It is a way of discussing society, politics, eroticism, food and even design. At the end, it is a way of building up a possible figurative utopia or metaphor about life.” Since design in all its forms has a tremendous impact on everybody’s life, and a better understanding of it will undoubtedly work to everybody’s advantage, an art museum with a design collection becomes a very powerful cultural and social agent. In this light, it is important for curators, whether they study contemporary or historical design, to be very aware of the culture within which they operate. The same is true for critics, if they really want their work to point out new, worthwhile directions, to sharpen the audience’s critical tools."

But Is It Art?  MoMA’s Paola Antonelli considers the complementary roles of critic and curator. 

Also see some thoughts on criticism from yours truly in the same issue of Harvard’s Nieman Reports. 

Pair with cultural icons on criticism. 

(via explore-blog)

(Source: , via explore-blog)