An Ode to Whimsy-Dimsies

Once upon a time, decorations were the language of power. In the grand metropolises, their streets and buildings shimmered with gold, adorned with marble, and guarded by majestic gargoyles and winged angels. These ornate embellishments showcased the wealth and influence of those in charge.

However, all that changed with modernism and the Western post-war era, where the visual language of authority became one that emphasized productivity, efficiency, rationality, progress, and usefulness. An engineered and technological landscape emerged within design and architecture, all with good reason. We needed to rebuild society, improve the living conditions of the many, and do it fast. The trauma of the World Wars, combined with the belief in progress and the desire to shape a better future, influenced modernist ideals and had a profound impact on society, triggering significant shifts in values.

The notion of abundance was replaced with the notion of scarcity, creating a preference for utilization over decoration. Ornamentation was rejected and perceived as superficial, vulgar, cluttering, "too womanly," and belonging to the domestic sphere.

We still live in the post-war era, at least, we still hold the same ideals regarding design and architecture. Our reasoning has become more nuanced, we no longer use “womanly" as a dirty word, and we are rapidly, on a daily basis, facing how our value system is no longer relevant. Our ideas of what power and success look like, how we perceive gender, how we treat and see each other are being challenged and tested. Isn't it time that we consider our visual preferences, whether we are hard-wired to a certain aesthetic belief system that limits our view and makes us disqualify certain aspects of the world presented to us?

Nature is full of whimsy-dimsies and dingle-dangle, and very little utilitarian monotony, stark rigidity, and sterile simplicity. Humans are nature. We flourish in fat, deep, and rich beauty-fullness. There are divisions within the design world arguing that we need to care more for the sensory and emotional experience and the needs and desires of the human soul. That calls for a shift in our aesthetic valuesystem.

At Kiki, we love the practice of transforming complexity into a simple message or visual. It is a core discipline in both communication and design. However, we also love to practice sheer beauty, without any other function than being pleasing to the eye, appealing to the soul, and teasing to the taste buds.

When we created this little playful experiment, we didn't think too much about it being a statement about cultural value shifts, nor do we expect it to become a significant piece of work for future historians. We did it because we wanted to get familiar with the 3D printer, and because it was a lot of fun. And as you know, play is a core value at Kiki.

However, we do like to make a point out of things, and so we did.

You are welcome.