Karolina Rykucka Link Group 13 MSA – Erin Doherty, Karolina Rykucka, Elise Hall, Zhiyi Zhou

Research

Consumerism suggests that people’s wellbeing depends entirely on consumer goods and material possessions. Such thinking causes a range of complex issues, for instance, harmful degradation of the natural environment or rising income inequality. Activism, as a category of Anthropocene in Contemporary Art, is a way of confronting this constant pressure of economic growth driven by consumerism. The principal aim of an architect is to improve people’s living conditions, therefore architecture might be considered as a form of activism. The question of how a specific approach to this discipline can help solve contemporary issues, emphasizing climate change, is elaborated through research of buildings from different periods and analysis of a book “Architecture & Design versus Consumerism, how design activism confronts growth” by Ann Thorpe. Thinking as a collective, choosing slow design movements and green economy are key elements in improving the profession of an architect.

Experience:

Being HUMAN 2021/22