Bauhaus Building, Dessau, 1925-1926: Aerial view after 1926

Editor: This aerial photograph by Robert Petschow captures the Bauhaus Building in Dessau, built between 1925 and 1926. The geometric forms are striking, but also appear so isolated. What do you see in this piece? Curator: Its starkness reflects the Bauhaus movement's utopian vision for societal reform through design. The school aimed to democratize art, architecture, and design for the masses. This image, however, also represents the school's complex relationship with power. Editor: Power? How so? Curator: Consider who commissioned this photo and how it was used. Aerial views like this were often employed to showcase industrial progress and control. Editor: I hadn't thought about that. So, it's not just a picture of a building. It's about control and progress. Curator: Precisely! It shows how the Bauhaus was trying to position itself within a rapidly modernizing world.