Francesca La Rocca's 'Design e delitto' Critiques Contemporary Objects

Francesca La Rocca's new book 'Design e delitto. Critica e metamorfosi dell’oggetto contemporaneo' (Franco Angeli, Milan, 2017) puts contemporary design on trial. The author argues that objects today are too many, inert, ephemeral, indigestible, cold, harmful, lacking signification and interactivity. Drawing from Adolf Loos's early 20th-century condemnation of ornament, La Rocca examines the object as a catalyst for daily transformations. The book traces a historical perspective from the Radical Design of the mid-1960s to the Critical Design of Anthony Dunne and Fiona Raby, highlighting the shift from passive consumption to conscious fruition. Key influences include the biological and the immaterial, driven by technological evolution and ecological concerns. La Rocca, with Chiara Scarpitti, calls for a hybrid design dimension open to multiple linguistic sensibilities, citing Roger Caillois on the indistinct mixture as a way to grasp contemporary aporias. The 172-page volume costs €25 and is published by Franco Angeli.