We continue the Ignored Technology lecture series with design historian and theorist Alison J. Clarke from the University of Applied Arts Vienna. In her lecture, she will explore critical approaches to design history through the life, work, and personal archive of Victor J. Papanek.
29.10. 18.30, TCM UMPRUM, Mikulandská 5, room 318 (cinema)
Exploring the life and work, and related archival materials, of Austrian-American émigré social design theorist Victor J. Papanek, this talk inquires how a designer’s archive can act as a vital historical source operating beyond a hagiographical paradigm. It raises questions regarding the ethics, and quandaries, of using personal and unorthodox archival sources in generating a critical biography and the broader implications of history-making in design and material culture.
Alison J. Clarke is Professor of Design History and Theory at the University of Applied Arts Vienna and Director of the Papanek Foundation. She is a leading scholar in the fields of design history and design anthropology. Her work focuses on the social, cultural, and political dimensions of design, with an emphasis on critical and interdisciplinary approaches.
The lecture will be held in English.