I recently took the liberty to temporarily modify a part of an exhibition organised at our faculty. This is a reflection on why I did it and what I learned from this about uninvited practice.

When we strive for perfection, we actually exclude to some extent an idea of realness. We know for damn sure we ourselves as humans aren't perfect, but how come we still keep a taboo on making a mistake? We almost develop a certain amount of distrust when an object is seen as flawless as well as a certain amount of disconnection from reality when we try to reach it.

We all know about it. It’s in the news every day. We know we should change our behavior and we know we don’t have any time to lose. Yet we still don’t manage to give up on the simplest things. We don’t want to lose our privileges and for sure not relinquish our way of life. We all know that we live in abundance, that overconsumption is not good for our planet with limited resources. Our habits are draining the Earth of its energy. So the question remains how can we change? How can we let go? And will this help us to finally enter a phase where we are not exploitative to our home anymore?

With the academic year coming to an end, the editorial team is inviting you to reflect on these past months to recognise and appreciate things that we might overlook on a day-to-day basis, as we are all waiting impatiently for the summer break! 

We all know it - plants are our babies, pets and best friends. You take care of them and they take care of you when you are feeling lonely or having a bad day. Here are a few mistakes to avoid to keep your green friends alive!

I have been walking amongst the neighborhoods and downtowns of American suburban communities and am noticing the frequency of cracks, potholes, and aging-in-place of infrastructure. These are things we (the user) view as mistakes or imperfections, but the manufacturer and maintenance crew expects. They are known obsolescences which come with time, yet we are surprised anew when we trip on a crack or drive over a hole. I am curious if these have a purpose beyond the physical phenomena which shaped them. 

What do a variety of design manifestoes say about mistakes? Perhaps unsurprisingly, not that much. Few touch on the importance and learning to be gained from making mistakes. Perhaps it's considered a given, inherent to design and learning how to design. If nothing about mistakes, what do these manifestoes say?

In some ways, emulating the piece by long-gone art idols like Rembrandt can be perceived as the greatest form of flattery. Fascinated by the mythical capabilities of the artist’s hand, art forgers depart on a journey of artist’s reincarnation and channelling supernatural ability to translate imaginary onto the canvas through their own hands. However, this incredible skill is considered fraudulent craftsmanship and a punishable career path by law. What mistakes do art forgers make on their way to the masterpiece (aka a fake) which expose their activities to the eyes of authorities? At the same time, why are we so obsessed with originals condemning the masters of copy-making and what does it reveal about our relationship with art?

Dear us,

I'm writing from my balcony in Delft. Sun is warm (FINALLY!) after an entire week of Dutch rain. It's pigeon season now, and worse, mosquitos. We try to keep the floor clean already from the crumbs and cigarette-butts, but they still come visit. Tricky time!

Hypothetically, if one of your design's would to be build, what would be the Thank-God-my-teacher-saved-me-from-making-this-mistake mistake? We all have made some bad choices in design and deeply regretted afterwards and blamed them on our lack of sleep or focus while putting it on paper/screen. Lucky for us, most of us are still students, so we're allowed to make mistakes with the twisted aim of actually tripping over them and in the end: improve. However, not everyone is getting these second chances, and before they know it their mistake has become a real life attribute in a rouring city, where it is admired by the everyday reproving eye of the analyst in the crowd, judging: ''you had one job''.