DEYAN SUDJIC: HOW POWER AND DESIGN INTERTWINE / WDCD2011

‘Something in design has gone wrong when objects don’t mature in a way that makes them more desirable.’ A clear-cut comment on today’s consumer culture from the director of London’s Design Museum: Deyan Sudjic.

Sudjic, who trained as an architect, has headed the museum since 2006 and has built up an extensive career in different fields. He reported about architecture and design for The Observer newspaper, was editor in chief of Domus, and published monographs on architects like Norman Foster. In 2002 Sudjic curated the Venice Architecture Biennale, entitled NEXT.

Deyan Sudjic mastered the art of translating complex subjects into understandable and even humorous proportions, as demonstrated by his 2005 book on architecture and power, entitled The Edifice Complex: How the Rich and Powerful – and Their Architects – Shape the World. He advocates a critical approach towards the adoration of the creative industry, where culture and economy are increasingly intertwined. For in the end, he says, ‘The way we design our society reflects the means and values we have built upon.’ (Portrait of Deyan Sudjic by Muhsin Akgun)