Metronome, a digital clock in Union Square in Manhattan has been reprogrammed by two artists, Gan Golan and Andrew Boyd, to count down the time remaining until the effects of global warming become irreversible. This public art project reminded me of what Dunne and Raby called “critical design” or “dark design” in Speculative Everything because it serves as a warning to its audience. Dunne and Raby discussed how critical design needed to be close enough to the present reality as to create discomfort for its audience. Although Metronome is not speculative design since it does not represent a “preferable” alternative to the future, I thought it was interesting how Metronome’s “power to disturb” lies in its reminder of how close the present reality is to a future that we do not want to see.
To read more about Metronome, click here.
DSGN 264-401 | Fall 2020 