Article:

Many of the systems and processes we encounter are changing in a continuous pattern of spiral repetition influenced by past trends. Recurring motifs that occur both in philosophical thought and in the visual arts manifest observable patterns of change. This essay analyses such a movement in design and relates to two exhibitions where this trend is brought to the fore as a central theme in contemporary design: New Olds curated by Volker Albus and Post Fossil curated by Lidewij Edelkoort. The master hand-carved wooden chair of Maarten Baas, which is a copy of the common “classical” mass-produced plastic chair, stands as an excellent example of this spiral pattern.