Everyday objects can have an extra dimension or quality that has no relation to functionality, form, a concept or a trend. So what is it that gives a particular glass an “aura”? Why should one thing have more shine, passion and “mystical allure” than another? A Wild Thing attempts to identify and describe these often intangible qualities.

There seems to be an inner light that shines from certain things. Unlike the blinding spotlight of media and marketing, this light is gentle and clear and reflects the methodology and intention of the maker. Ancient craftsmen designed from a place of unity with matter and the cosmos, putting themselves at the service of the making process and thereby creating a moment of transference from maker to thing.

A Wild Thing focuses on how this unity between a person, a thing and the universe can be attained through a particular manner of both designing and experiencing objects. This approach is in stark contrast to that of the star designer, who frequently conceives useless products that are nothing more than status symbols designed to generate wasteful consumption.

In a series of essays, Hilde Bouchez reflects on design history and the latest movements within the design world. She also presents a phenomenological methodology that opens up a new, more poetic approach to everyday objects for both maker and consumer. The texts are linked by the author’s search for a sustainability and meaning that transcends the organic component of materials.

With the support of KASK / School of Arts Gent.