The exhibition “Fragments of Otherness” explores the dialectical relationship between industrial design, consumerism, and human desires and needs. In the artwork “Anthropological Architecture,” Ingeborg Høen 3D scanned three ordinary mass-produced aluminum wheels and recreated them as wooden sculptures coated with environmentally friendly yellow-green varnish. Contrary to the original materials and dimensions of the wheels, the decorative aspect of wheel design is magnified in the artwork, prompting people to contemplate: what kind of design do objects need to attract our attention?

As a human-centered philosophical concept, anthroposophy reflects and conveys the most fundamental questions about the spiritual world, believing in the interdependence and close connection between humans, nature, and the universe.

“Design,” as a term derived from the industrial system, emphasizes both the technical standardization and the creative activity that serves instinctive and straightforward human needs. This dialogue aims to explore how human consumption guides and shapes industrial design and production. How does the process of industrialization redefine human needs and activities? Does industrial design and manufacturing accurately respond to society’s real needs? How can we step outside of “design” to examine “design,” aligning industry with humanity, technology with everyday life?

In this event, we are honored to invite the Design Art Research Studio, Gong DaiXie, which focuses on design art research, to lead us into the realm of design thinking. Both Zhang Ning, a designer, and Yang Yafei, an artist, have long been attentive to the intersection between real needs in the industrial system and design practice in urban environments. During the dialogue, the two guests will share and analyze the functionality of “design” in various social contexts and spaces, discussing how individual design actions can respond and align with our existence as “real humans” and our needs.