09 Mar 2016

The Next Big Thing is Not a Thing at Bureau Europa, Maastricht

The Next Big Thing is Not a Thing
Surveying the Design Discipline

The exhibition The Next Big Thing is Not a Thing relates the evolving field of design to the science of anthropology. Using the gaze as a metaphor, the exhibition surveys the evolution of the design discipline and examines new fields of knowledge and critical practices. The exhibition questions the underlying myths within design, deconstructs its emerging signs, and examines how technology determines the future landscape of design.

The design discipline, along with the discourse surrounding it, is rapidly emancipating itself. With the rising hope in design as a coming savior, and the growing belief that design is a fail-proof method that can be applied to any problem, the designer-anthropologist of today instead takes a humble position that requires continuous learning and collective trial and error. It seeks for a position that recognises the human is not at the centre in its relation to technology and nature.

The exhibition acknowledges the designer's perspective as a critical aspect of any research and design undertaking, viewing design as an inherently relational field. The Next Big Thing is Not a Thing opens dialogue and aims to understand design culture far beyond its horizons as a product-oriented practice and places it within the subject of a discipline in cultural developments.

The works of more than 45 international visual artists, designers, and anthropologists illustrate and elaborate on hypothetical concepts and expanding design views:

Heather Dewey-Hagborg, Roger Ballen and Die Antwoord, The Yes Men, Forensic Architecture, Artur Beifuss, !Mediengruppe Bitnik, AO Clouds, Ines Doujak and John Barker, Dries Depoorter, Geert Mul, Emma Charles, Julien Prévieux, Jasper Morrison, Marc Bijl, Studio Formafantasma for Droog Design, Susanna Hertrich, Dave Hakkens, Fabrice Monteiro, Jan Rothuizen, James Bridle, Liam Young, Monobanda and DUS, Theo Deutinger, Pierre Bourdieu, Uli Aigner, Studio Drift, Zach Blas, Eline Van Der Ploeg, TeYosh, Atelier NL, Ruben Pater and Jaap van Heusden, Jalila Essaïdi, Manon van Hoeckel, Massoud Hassani, Ingrid Burrington, SchilderScholte Architects, Re-Do Studio, Safecast, Lalage Snow, Dirk Vander Kooij, Alicia Ongay-Perez, Cucula, Eli Noyes, Philippe Starck, Maarten Baas, ScanLAB, Gudrun F. Widlok, Adbusters, and others.

The exhibition runs from 5 March 2016 to 10 July 2016 at Bureau Europa, platform for architecture and design in Maastricht, the Netherlands.

Film screenings, a performance and lecture programme and a symposium will complement the exhibition.

Inspired by the research and publication Design Anthropology by Dr Yana Milev, the exhibition aims at building on the three pillars upon which the expanded design concept is based: Segno, Mythus, and Techne, to aggregate new views on design culture.

The curators are Pauline Doutreluingne, Agata Jaworska, Yana Milev, Niels Schrader and Saskia van Stein.

The visual identity is by Mind Design.

This exhibition is generously supported by The Fund for Creative Industry NL.

Admission:
€5, €3 for students, free admission for Museumjaarkaarthouders.