Alexandra Midal Knihy

Exploring synchronized dance reveals its complex interplay with ideologies, power structures, and cultural narratives. Often dismissed as trivial, this art form embodies conflicting themes, from American standardization to the commodification of women and the militaristic aesthetics of regimes like Hitler's. It raises critical questions about the permanence of artistic forms and their susceptibility to varying interpretations. The discussions surrounding synchronized dance challenge us to reconsider its implications in contemporary contexts, such as political events, highlighting its enduring relevance in shaping ideologies.

A counterhistory and new historiography of design. In Design by Accident, Alexandra Midal declares the autonomy of design, in and on its own terms. This meticulously researched work proposes not only a counterhistory but a new historiography of design, shedding light on overlooked historical landmarks and figures while reevaluating the legacies of design's established luminaries from the nineteenth century to the present. Midal rejects both linear narratives of progress and the long-held perception of design as a footnote to the histories of fine art and architecture. By weaving critical analysis of the canon of design history and theory together, with special attention to the writings of designers themselves, she draws out the nuances and radical potentials of the discipline—from William Morris's ambivalence toward industry, to Catharine Beecher's proto-feminist household appliances, to the Bauhaus's Expressionist origins, and the influence of Herbert Marcuse on Joe Colombo.

What makes crime stories fascinating is that the divisions between the criminal, the victims, and the audience are constantly blurred: we are all potential victims and could perhaps become criminals ourselves. While the exhibition 'The Crime Was Almost Perfect' at the Witte de With Center for Contemporary Art in Rotterdam functioned more as a space for experimentation, this publication aims to investigate not only detective fiction but the more theoretical, philosophical, and aesthetic aspects of the genre. Published following the closing of the exhibition, this catalogue should be considered a continuation of the project, as a resource in itself, rather than simply documentation or commentary. Taking a more literary approach to the theme, the publication includes commissioned fictive works and three relevant theoretical essays. The essays were chosen, not only to address the participating artists practices or artworks, but to provide analysis of some of the issues raised in the exhibition.00Exhibition: Witte de With, Rotterdam, the Netherlands (24.1.-27.4.2014)

C'est avec la rationalisation de l'organisation de la cuisine, pensée en 1841 aux Etats-Unis, que le design trouve son origine : l'agencement de la maison et des tâches à y accomplir doit être modifié rationnellement pour non seulement soulager le travail des femmes mais aussi démontrer le bien-fondé de l'abolition de l'esclavage. Dès sa naissance, le design affirme une vision politique du monde. Pourtant c'est l'Exposition universelle de Londres de 1850 qui lance le design en tant que discipline à part entière. Mi-XIXe, la révolution industrielle européenne pousse les Britanniques à s'interroger les premiers sur les conséquences du progrès technique. Ancré dans l'économie, le design apparaît comme une réponse à l'industrialisation et à ses conséquences désastreuses sur le plan social: il entreprend d'abord la réconciliation entre l'art et la vie avant de se proposer de réformer les champs politique, social et artistique. En tentant de donner des formes au progrès contemporain et industriel, l'histoire du design se confond dès lors avec le mouvement moderne et ses utopies, devenant l'agent le plus visible d'un bonheur collectif jusqu'à nos jours...