This keynote lecture, delivered by Matthew Kiem, is the first in a new series of talks at UNSW Galleries exploring politics and power in contemporary design.
‘Design’ emerged as a theoretical and pedagogical object not simply in the context of an already established colonial matrix of power but as a means to sustain it. These systemic conditions persist in the liberal pluralisation of design studies, a tendency that undercuts the relevance of design theory with respect to decolonial movements. Drawing on critical studies of the nineteenth century formation of British design institutions, this talk will argue that a renewed emphasis on understanding the imperial conditions of ‘design’ is necessary to positioning concepts of decolonial theory within design studies.
Matthew Kiem is a Sydney-based designer, researcher, and member of the Decolonising Design group. He has recently completed his PhD at Western Sydney University on the topic of the Coloniality of Design.
Presented in conjunction with 'Order of Events: Elliott Bryce Foulkes & Maria Smit'
WHERE: UNSW GALLERIES
ADDRESS: CNR OF OXFORD ST & GREENS RD, PADDINGTON NSW 2021
