Massive Change: The Future of Global Design - Vancouver Art Gallery Exhibit

[lithe]

i finally went!

i found it very interesting, though definately not a typical art exhibit. it was interesting to see some of the innovations, though nothing that exceptional was showcased. it was also quite repetitive for those who have, well, read the newspaper even infrequently over the last decade... the hole in the ozone layer? north american's immense ecological footprints? focused attention on solar power? yeah.. no shit. i liked the break down in one of the rooms of the hot topics such as stem cell research, and genetically modified foods. i didn't like the tone of much of the writing, it was rather pompous. the first thing i thought after reading the first wall or what have you was that the exhibit would be little more than intellectual masturbation, but it wasn't too, too bad. the segway portion was ridiculous though... an invention designed for those too lazy to walk to the corner store to get milk is hardly one that marks 'massive change' in the way we see the world and the environment.

all in all, 6/10.

[yoko*]

I finally went as well. Note to self.. don't go on thursdays unless you're willing to put up with a huge line-up.

I was actually kind of impressed. For the first time, the gallery showcased something *different*. I've been going to the VAG since I was very young and I've never really seen the gallery present anything like massive change. I liked that the exhibit was very interactive and I appreciated how they took advantage of the entire gallery space by manipulating the environment to draw out the themes of each room.

Lithe as you stated above, I agree with you that many of the concepts that were presented throughout the gallery were not new... but I think that they were trying to show how design has evolved throughout time, and how it has the potential to change our lives and our futures.. They suggest that we need to think of new ways to design our world so that we can adapt to the rapid changes (e.g., in population, ecology, technology, natural resources etc) that are occuring in our world... They note how we now have the power to "design" and manipulate nature (e.g., designer babies, and designer food) and ask us to consider its implications for our future. Many of the topics explored in the exibit are often explored daily, in depth and in isolation but when thrown together and integrated into one visual exhibit it becomes more mind-boggling and real how much change really is occuring and has occured across the world. I think that that was the point of the exhibit itself: to draw attention to the "massive change" that has occured across the globe and the role that design has played and is going to play in light of such changes.

My optimism for this exhibit is largely related to the fact that I haven't really seen anything else like it exhibited at the VAG so I guess I appreciate its uniqueness. In other words, compared to some of the other exhibits I've seen there, I give it an 8/10.

[zenith]

for those who have not been,
cannot be,
or just haven't gotten there yet...
here's a peek on whatz up with massive change

http://ca.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/mar...bum?.dir=/b76c

[Gusto]

I checked this out on Monday night. I liked it quite a bit, despite the negative reviews I'd heard and seen posted in the shout room there. A lot of people really focussed on how bad things are now, rather than the good things that could come. It was definately more of an informative exhibit than an art exhibit, though. Anyway, you take what you like from it and leave the rest. All in all, it was a few hours well spent.

[jack frost]

you know, I paid .25$ to see a show that starts off by saying that the urban centre, or city is the greatest acheivement of mankind?

and then has an entire section devoted to how the military is one of the biggest producers of tecnology that our campy little urban yuppie asses can use while we trapes on motehr nature in our stinking SUVs?

sorry, if I needed to feel good about the prophecy of modern technology, then Id just eat some prozak.

not to be a bummer, but the only thing I was digging on was the part about recycling, and the really cool lady doing tours. after asking questions for an hour, she finally admitted that she thought that the whole show was very "status quo" and didnt really challenge any of the ideas inherent in our way of life (greed mainly).

she also admitted that she thought the show was kind pretty standard in that it was mainly a cheerleader for urban capitalism, production.

I have to take my hat off to the designers though, because it was a pleasure to walk through, and the messages were very clear.

mainstream media fluffing of the tecnology that rapes the world so that we can live so richly.

but very clear.

tata

[The_acidhouse]

Wow, you wasted an hour of everyone's time to point out the obvious - that greed is in fact the best motivator.

You know, if you want to feel better about yourself, why don't you invent something better than capitalism? Oh wait, it's been tried - it was called communism – and news flash, it was far worse! By now I would hope that we all know that there can't be anything better than capitalism since capitalism harnesses the individual's self-interest to achieve the goal of survival - the harnessing of resources.

Okay, let's go through this together:
a) People need to work to survive
b) People aren’t going to work purely for the faceless government (unless they are brainwashed by fear or propaganda)
c) People will work for themselves and their friends and families – something the free market allows

Why don't you stop snivelling about how terrible the system is and start taking some classes in reality. Haven’t you ever seen a graph of real GDP? Can't you comprehend that the free market is the best way to produce innovations that will rectify basically every problem man kind creates in the process of harnessing the world's resources for its survival?

I personally thought the exhibit was excellent. It's nice to finally see a deviation from the typical leftist groupthink (which you tend to see in places like art galleries) by the admission that perhaps market forces can also be harnessed (or even left to its own devices) to achieve rapid innovation, pollution reduction all while creating wealth.

Have you ever considered that these so called "yuppie asses" you talk about are basically the reason why there are such things as cheap technology. Yes, I’m talking about what you are using to chat with. Have you ever considered that the free market is ultimately responsible for real price deflation of basically every consumer product currently available for consumption? Probably not, from what I can tell you are basically too ignorant to even realise how the free market benefits you 24 hours a day. You appear to be the worst kind of moron - the anti-capitalist equivalent of a vegetarian who wears leather belts.

If you are truly holier than all of us who rely on the free market, why don't you donate your computer to charity? Hell, why don't you go work for free at a free store, hippy? Better yet, why don't you have a sugar daddy sponsor you so you can write your own updated version of Das Kapital in order to convince me you have truly come up with a better way to organize society?

Originally Posted by jack frost

you know, I paid .25$ to see a show that starts off by saying that the urban centre, or city is the greatest acheivement of mankind?

and then has an entire section devoted to how the military is one of the biggest producers of tecnology that our campy little urban yuppie asses can use while we trapes on motehr nature in our stinking SUVs?

sorry, if I needed to feel good about the prophecy of modern technology, then Id just eat some prozak.

not to be a bummer, but the only thing I was digging on was the part about recycling, and the really cool lady doing tours. after asking questions for an hour, she finally admitted that she thought that the whole show was very "status quo" and didnt really challenge any of the ideas inherent in our way of life (greed mainly).

she also admitted that she thought the show was kind pretty standard in that it was mainly a cheerleader for urban capitalism, production.

I have to take my hat off to the designers though, because it was a pleasure to walk through, and the messages were very clear.

mainstream media fluffing of the tecnology that rapes the world so that we can live so richly.

but very clear.

tata