Design occupies an increasingly expansive field these days. No longer just about solutions and innovation, design is often the root cause of problems and conflict. For museums that engage in this world, this poses an existential challenge wherein how design acts, to what end, and for whom needs to be closely examined. Expansive Bodies is an account of the past eight years at Het Nieuwe Instituut in Rotterdam, in its own attempts to come to terms with this shifting ground. The book comprises an oral history of the institute, an illustrated account of its exhibition history, and sixteen essays, each exploring different ideas about cultural practice and the ways design operates today.
310 pages, 23 x 32 cm, softcover, Nai010 (Rotterdam).