About the Conference
Present Tense: The 2011 D-Crit Conference took place on May 4, 2011 at the Visual Arts Theatre in New York City. Moderated by documentary film producer Adam Harrison Levy, and featuring The New York Times Magazine contributor Rob Walker as keynote speaker, the conference presented the 11 graduating students, who each made a sharply honed 10-minute presentation on their thesis topic, and a panel of prominent critics on the future of design criticism.
This year’s fast-paced half-day event was held at the plush SVA Theatre in NYC from 1:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., concluding with a panel discussion that included MoMA’s Paola Antonelli, BIG’s founder and architect Bjarke Ingels, Van Alen Institute’s executive director Olympia Kazi, The New Yorker’s John Seabrook and Fast Company’s Linda Tischler, who joined Levy and Walker onstage to debate the priorities, possibilities and impact of design criticism. The conference was rounded off with a reception attendees got to know better the next generation of design critics, editors, journalists, authors, curators, strategists, and educators.
The students’ topics ranged from the design of playgrounds to the use of sound as a communicative tool in design and architecture and from a consideration of decay and impermanence in design to an analysis of the Afro as visual archetype. Please see a full list below.
Attendees arrived early for a limited edition Baggu bag designed by Walker Design, a copy of the first D-Crit chapbook, At Water’s Edge, and delicious coffee and snacks provided by Cafe Grumpy. A sumptuous reception hosted by GD Cucine at their Chelsea flagship showroom followed.
Conference Partners
Event Information
When: 4 May 2011, 1:00 to 8:00 p.m.
Where: Visual Arts Theatre, 333 West 23rd Street (between Eighth and Ninth Avenues)
Price: Free and open to the public
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