Bruce Mau's Massive Change
by Adrian Hanft, (3 comments)
“Design has emerged as one of the world’s most powerful forces. It has placed us at the beginning of a new, unprecedented period of human possibility…”
The quote above is taken from the Massive Change website and I really like the statement. Massive Change is a project by Bruce Mau that includes a book, a radio show and an exhibit that opens in a couple days at the Vancouver Art Gallery. I have to admit I don’t know enough about this project to give it a qualified critique, but I thought I would throw out a couple of the questions that cross my mind in response to the subject.
Mau is a graphic designer. What is the relationship between the design that Massive Change is talking about and graphic design. Do we limit ourselves by putting the word graphic at the beginning of our title? Is there a difference between the two?
From what I can tell, the exhibit is just a series of installation pieces. How does a fine art exhibit further the global ideas of Massive Change? Is it necessary? What is the point?
I find it interesting that Mau’s name is so closely tied to Massive Change. What exactly is Mau’s contribution, and how involved is he?
What does Massive Change do? Is it a documentary like thing that is observing the role of design in the world? Or is Massive Change actually doing all the things that it talks about? I can’t tell.
I am intrigued by some of Massive Change’s ideas, and I would like to learn more about the project. From the website, I can’t get a very good feel for what this thing is all about. Since I am not going to be in Vancouver any time soon, I might just have to learn what I can from the book. Maybe I will get around to downloading the radio show from their site.
Comments (3)
Bennett said:
Maybe it is another one of Mau’s vague projects that he seems to use to make himself seem important and intelligent. If you get the book, make sure you only read the left hand pages.
Posted on October 1, 2004
Rob said:
The more I learn about it, no matter how good an idea it is, the more I feel it is just another vehicle for Mr. Mau to continue to sell himself.
In other words, cynically speaking, it seems to be more about building up his reputation and commercial success than a truly benevolent gesture aimed at making the world a beter place. I do that this does change, though.
Posted on October 3, 2004
A. Eugene H. said:
The statement, “Design has emerged as one of the world﨎 most powerful forces” is intriguing. We do live in a “time” when the visual power of the artist is again being valued. When “massive changes” seem to be the ordinary and expected in “everyday life”, those with the “power” to see order and beauty (yes, design) be it “graphic” or otherwise, are indeed “important” as Bennett says above. (Whether we like them or not!)
Posted on October 4, 2004