‘It is not the person ignorant of writing, but the one ignorant of photography, who will be the illiterate of the future,’ states modernist polymath László Moholy-Nagy – as performed by Hans-Ulrich Obrist – in the documentary film The New Bauhaus, directed by Alysa Nahmias. The film, which honours the movement’s centenary with a close look at the seminal legacy and practice of the Bauhaus master, premiered globally at the Architecture & Design Film Festival on Wednesday night.
The New Bauhaus follows the journey of Moholy-Nagy, who founded the New Bauhaus school in Chicago in 1937, and theorised about a camera’s possibilities, terming his view of making art ‘Neues Sehen’ (New Vision). It was this vision that played an influential role in America’s embrace of modern design, and is still relevant today – ringing true in his prophetic statement above.
Still from The New Bauhaus, directed by Alysa Nahmias, which premiered at ADFF 2019
Fast forward to 2009, when Kyle Bergman founded the Architecture & Design Film Festival. The 21st century has seen an inseparable bond forming between architecture and the lens – sealed firmer still through popular culture (and social media) thanks to the discipline’s often imposing visual impact. To Bergman, the big screen seemed the most fitting medium to transfer this multitude of messages to a multitude of architecture enthusiasts. Now in its 11th season, festivalgoers of ADFF New York have a packed programme to look forward to.
Focusing on individual architects’ lives as well as wider political and socio-economic issues, ADFF touches upon a sizeable range of subjects in the following days. Some are related to architecture’s role in tackling housing injustice (PUSH, by Fredrik Gertten), while some trace the immigration story of lauded and fledgling architecture professionals: the Swiss structural engineer Othmar H. Ammann in Gateways to New York by Martin Witz, and A Poetics of Living by Caroline Alder and co-directed with Damien Faure, respectively.
Still from Gateways to New York featuring engineer Othmar H. Ammann, who emigrated to New York in 1904
In Mario Botta: The Space Beyond, director Loretta Dalpozzo and Michèle Volontè travel along with the energetic Swiss architect as he continues to work on various projects at the age of 76. City Dreamers by Joseph Hillel, premiering on ADFF’s closing night, sheds light on the careers and impact of four trailblazing architects – Phyllis Lambert, Blanch Lemco van Ginkel, Cornelia Hahn Oberlander and Denise Scott Brown – who all too often found themselves to be the only women in the room.
As well as films, expect i
ntimate post-film discussions with the films’ subjects, directors and architects who inspired them. Beyond the movie screen you’ll also find tours and walks across New York City on the festival’s programme, offering a uniquely cinematic insight into architecture and design. Take your camera along too – you better follow Moholy-Nagy’s advice.
A taster of The New Bauhaus – featuring quotes by László Moholy-Nagy set to atmospheric music and cinematic shots
On set with directors Loretta Dalpozzo and Michèle Volontè for the filming of Mario Botta: The Space Beyond, on view at ADFF NYC 2019
INFORMATION
ADFF runs from 16 –20 October, at Cinépolis Chelsea
-
Martin Kuczmarski’s new London restaurant is made for long lunches and late nightsFrom the founder of The Dover comes Martino’s: a softly lit Italian trattoria in Sloane Square, where appetite, atmosphere and romance are inseparable
-
Hermès' Natures Marines tableware is a botanical marvelThe newest porcelain table service from Hermès, Natures Marines features hand-drawn botanical illustrations by British artist Katie Scott
-
Smart scales up into the big leagues with its all-wheel-drive electric #5Can the Smart #5 channel the qualities that built the brand’s name in Europe?
-
A rare Rudolph Schindler-designed rental just hit the market in Los AngelesThis incredible Silver Lake apartment, designed one of the most famous voices in California modernism, could be yours for $3,675 a month
-
The New Museum finally has an opening date for its OMA-designed expansionThe pioneering art museum is set to open 21 March 2026. Here's what to expect
-
This remarkable retreat with views of the Catskill Mountains was inspired by the silhouettes of oak leavesA New York City couple turned to Desai Chia Architecture to design them a thoughtful weekend home. What they didn't know is that they'd be starting a farm, too
-
Wallpaper* Best Use of Material 2026: a New Mexico home that makes use of the region's volcanic soilNew Mexico house Sombra de Santa Fe, designed by Dust Architects, intrigues with dark, geometric volumes making use of the region's volcanic soil – winning it a spot in our trio of Best Use of Material winners at the Wallpaper* Design Awards 2026
-
More changes are coming to the White HouseFollowing the demolition of the East Wing and plans for a massive new ballroom, President Trump wants to create an ‘Upper West Wing’
-
A group of friends built this California coastal home, rooted in nature and modern designNestled in the Sea Ranch community, a new coastal home, The House of Four Ecologies, is designed to be shared between friends, with each room offering expansive, intricate vistas
-
Step inside this resilient, river-facing cabin for a life with ‘less stuff’A tough little cabin designed by architects Wittman Estes, with a big view of the Pacific Northwest's Wenatchee River, is the perfect cosy retreat
-
Remembering Robert A.M. Stern, an architect who discovered possibility in the pastIt's easy to dismiss the late architect as a traditionalist. But Stern was, in fact, a design rebel whose buildings were as distinctly grand and buttoned-up as his chalk-striped suits
