Bauhaus X Ikea Legacies of Modernism

The Bauhaus, in its short existence from 1919-1933, served as a crucible for much of what came to be known as modernist design. Just 10 years after the Bauhaus’ closure, its principle of the democratisation of design would become the theoretical and functional foundation for IKEA. Through a carefully curated selection of essays and photography, this title traces the profound but not always benign influence of these global design icons across history, politics, pedagogy, art and society.

‘Design for everyone’, IKEA’s guiding principle, is both the embodiment of Bauhaus ideals and a business plan that has seen modernism repackaged in the form of a global consumer goods empire. Considered together, the Bauhaus and IKEA could be said to have profoundly transformed how our societies relate to and understand design and its artefacts. But as we grapple with climate change and the wreckage brought about by the consumer-driven, mass manufacturing models promulgated by the Bauhaus, and then perfected by IKEA, how might we reckon with this legacy, and what can we learn from it?