The Architecture of Contemplation

Guide

 

Reading the yellow pages as a child, listening to Fat Joe on Instagram, meditating on objects, welcome to the world of Paola Antonelli, Senior Curator of the Department of Architecture & Design at MOMA.

 

The role of a curator has long held a fascination for me, and is one of the titles I have dabbled with myself, in the collection of stories and people that contribute to the narrative of my own design work. Paola's specific work as a curator at MOMA, and her several projects beyond this institution, have occupied a space in my imagination for some time now, and my goodness, this conversation made that space hum with joy.

 

The trusted guide - Paola is fluent in deciphering, and translating, the import and potential, of the objects around which we build our lives. Hers is also a message of self-empowerment, which encourages the individual to ask more from the broader discipline of design. We all have already inherited the earth. The question is, what shall we do to preserve, and honour, this great boon?

 

We perambulate through a host of topics and thought bubbles, from using museums as the R&D labs of a society, the age of the bully, objects as portals, and the joy of curiosity. Rest, respite and contemplation come in a variety of forms too. I'll  use one word to hint at the theme - suspension. And that's where I'll leave that...

 

Paola's creative footprint in the world is a rich one: there are exhibits, books, salons, talks, podcasts. You will find many signposts of what could be, and perhaps, if you are ready to step through your own portal, you too can help design a tomorrow that makes you pulse with the same lust for transformational design, that runs through Paola.

 

Without further ado, I bring you Paola Antonelli.

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Apple Podcasts | Spotify

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Produced by Annika Sost

Music freesound.org

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Further Delving:

| Paola Antonelli WEBSITE

| Design Emergency, Building a Better Future; Alice Rawsthorn, Paola Antonelli READ IG PODCAST

| Hans Brinker, or The Silver Skates; Mary Mapes Doge STORY

| MOMA Salons LISTEN

| 'Panta rhei' everything flows HERACLITUS

| Hella Jongerius LAB