New Commitment

by Aarsman, Hans; Franke, Simon; Besky, Aaron (CON); Boomgaard, Jeroen (CON); Kouman, Ole (CON); De Cauter, Lieven (CON)

• ISBN13: 9789056623470
• ISBN10: 9056623478
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2004-03-01
• Publisher: Distributed Art Pub Inc

Summary

Of late, the disciplines of art, design, and architecture have been called upon to engage in current social issues--a development which surely has some connection with recent international political and economic trends. If the 1990s can be described as a period of unprecedented financial and political prosperity--at least in the Western world--that decade now seems completely consigned to history. Today a new commitment is being argued for in professional journals, and art and architecture are truly being called on, for tasks such as the restructuring of the post-war city, building for care and education, and deciding how contemporary art and design can reassume a radical stance and create a new world view. This collection of essays offers a broad insight into commitment today by drawing attention to comparable developments in a wide range of disciplines. New Commitmentis well served by essays from architecture, design and art critics, including Hans Aarsman, Aaron Betsky, Jeroen Boomgaard, Rena Boomkens, Ole Bouman, Lieven de Cauter, Josa van Dijck, Chris Dercon, Fred Feddes, Adriaan Geuze, Maarten Hajer, Hans den Hartogh Jager, Bas Heijne, Hilde Heynen, H.J.A. Hofland, Hans Ibelings, Allard Jolles, Rudi Laermans, Dieter Lesage, Bert van Meggelen, Rutger Pontzen, Arnold Reijndorp, Janny Rodermond, Gert Staal, Anna Tilroe, Wouter Vanstiphout, Ton Verstegen, and Lucas Verwey.

Table of Contents

Engagement after progress	p. 10
Do we just keep complaining about injustice, or do we set an example?	p. 27
Beyond postmodern melancholy: Critical pessimism versus 'glocal' panic - the 'new commitment'	p. 32
Intervention in the relations of production, or sublimation of contradictions? On commitment then and now	p. 38
The invisible in architecture	p. 48
About more, for more: Engaged architectural criticism	p. 53
The engaged city	p. 58
Towards a new Utopia	p. 67
From shaped space to the making of nothing: Architecture and spatial planning in late capitalist Netherlands	p. 71
Art after the end of history	p. 80
I speak on behalf of myself	p. 92
The platform of commitment	p. 96
The sober twentieth century	p. 106
Always at a distance: Beyond the boundaries of engagement	p. 110
What critically engaged artists?	p. 120
The art, the curator and the big clean-up	p. 124
Commitment - what commitment?	p. 133
Innocuous involvement: The new legitimacy of a design profession	p. 136
Digital engagement	p. 145
Public role of architecture under pressure	p. 150
New commitment at the crossroads	p. 161
Engagement has become everyone's friend	p. 167
The lenient house: On the betrothal of house and home	p. 172
Engagement is perfectly ordinary	p. 182
On everyday engagement	p. 186
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