Bauhaus Building, Dessau, 1925-1926: View from southwest after 1926

Editor: This is Klaus Hertig's photograph of the Bauhaus Building in Dessau, taken sometime between 1925 and 1926. It's so striking, with its clean lines and seemingly simple construction. What can you tell me about it? Curator: The Bauhaus was about radically rethinking the means of artistic production. This building is a testament to that. Consider the industrial materials—steel, concrete, glass—and the emphasis on functionality. What does this say about the Bauhaus’s relationship to labor and the society around it? Editor: It almost seems like the building itself is a product of mass production, or at least aspires to be. Curator: Precisely. The Bauhaus sought to democratize design by integrating art with craft and industry. It aimed to create affordable and functional objects and buildings for the masses. Reflect on how the architecture embodies these principles. Editor: It's amazing to see how deeply the Bauhaus philosophy is embedded in the very structure of the building. Curator: Indeed, a total work of art that sought to revolutionize how things were made and for whom.