Act II
Act II was inspired by the first thirty years of the twentieth century, a period with a striking progression of ideas about modernity. Vienna at the turn of the century, Weimar Germany, Art Deco, Bauhaus, all proposed ideas that feel enduringly relevant. We looked to the work of Josef Hoffmann and the Weiner Werkstätte Adolf Loos, Jean Dunand, Emile-Jacques Ruhlmann, Pierre Chareau, and Eileen Grey. The aesthetic references are varied, but the connecting principles are a superior level of craftsmanship, an eager exploration of new ideas, and a strong faith in social and technological progress. Almost a century later, these ideas about the inevitable momentum of progress feel particularly timely.
