Publisher's Synopsis
Today, design occupies an increasingly expansive field. Promoters argue that almost anything can be design. But by expanding its definition, design is no longer just about solutions and innovation, but often the root cause of problems and conflict. For museums that engage in the design world, such shifting ground poses an existential challenge. It is no longer enough to simply champion design professions, designers, and designed objects. One must instead deeply interrogate how design acts, to what end, and for whom. 'Expansive Bodies' is an account of the past eight years of institutional practice at Het Nieuwe Institute in Rotterdam, and its own attempt to come to terms with this shifting ground, which has produced a unique approach to framing, challenging and probing design.
