What does romanticism have to do with contemporary design? New values, such as individuality, sensuousness, uniqueness and affinity with nature are juxtaposed with increasing globalisation and mobility, with ubiquitous information overload, with alienation and with the absolute transparency of our private lives.

Against this backdrop, we can observe a shift in contemporary design that, in terms of motivation and goals, can be compared to the historic Romantic movement.

Romantic tendencies are, for example, expressed in patterns, in materials and in processing techniques, but they are also revealed in concepts that take up and reinterpret poetic, ironic and even disturbing principles of romanticism. These different forms are represented in the catalogue by pieces from internationally acclaimed designers.

Published to accompany the exhibition Isn’t it romantic? Contemporary Design Balancing between Poetry and Provocation at MAK Cologne, 14 January – 21 April 2013.

English and German text.