Alicia Ongay-Perez

CumLaude

Department: Contextual Design

Inside Out

Research of the hidden premises of contemporary design.

Momentary thoughts, irritations, and
unanswered questions from the last
10 months.

As a student of Design I live between
two worlds. Whilst at home in London, I
experience the gritty dynamic of the city I
grew up in. I am fascinated by the evolving
urban plethora of people on the streets and
all the trash culture and variety this includes. Often when I return to London I have a momentary sense of comfort in a stranger
being confrontational with me on the Tube,
simply because it makes me feel at home
again. However, as much as I miss the rich
diversity of London, when back in Holland I
enjoy the freedom that distance from home
gives me.
In my opinion, foreign students in Eindhoven
rarely engage with local culture, living in
small international circles centered around
their place of study. As a British citizen
in Holland, I feel less distracted with
social and political current affairs and this
allows me to work in a more abstract and
potentially introspective way.
Sometimes I think that this conceptual
work is like an escapism for me, a space in
which I am free from the social atrocities I
see all around me. Last night I watched a
programme about honour killings happening
in Muslim communities in London; then I did
a sculpture of a vase.
Conceptual Art has been defined by Kosuth
as examining the nature of art itself - as
an introspective discussion on what art is.
Could we define Conceptual Design today
in the same way?

Is all I am doing intellectualising found
objects in the name of questioning what
Design is?

Video