Vase 1927

Editor: Right in front of us, we have Kay Fisker's metal "Vase," created in 1927. It’s quite striking in its simplicity, almost like a geometric study. What catches your eye most about it? Curator: It’s precisely that simplicity. What kind of labour went into creating these sharply defined geometric planes using metal? The cold, hard metal, is manipulated to reference and subvert ideas related to high craft, design and consumption. I wonder, what does its industrial aesthetic tell us about its intended function? Editor: Functionality? Well, it’s a vase… isn’t its function to hold flowers? Or are you thinking of functionality in a different sense? Curator: Beyond its primary use, let's consider its place in society. The materials, the production process. Art Deco wasn’t just about aesthetics. What type of consumer was interested in something like this? Did it democratize high design, or did it represent luxury only for a privileged group? Editor: I see what you’re saying. Its simplified, almost mass-producible form makes you question its role in consumer culture during the Art Deco movement. Is it celebrating industry or critiquing it? Curator: Exactly! Its very materiality becomes a vehicle for considering class, production and, therefore, consumption, even today. Editor: I never considered a vase could have so much to say about production! Thanks to your materialist approach, I see it with totally new eyes. Curator: My pleasure. Now when you look at other artworks, consider its origin and production through labour to better unpack what it “means.”