Inflatable Moment

A group formed by architects and sociologists wanted to “formulate a radical critique of architecture, urbanism, and everyday life in the French Seociety. This utopie group created inflatable furniture, sculpture and environments. Architects and artists in Europe, United States, and Japan were greatly interested by the exhibition of inflatable art. After propagandas released in May 1968, “the Utopie group increased.” They published works “denouncing speculative urbanism and consumerism.” May criticized the ambiguity of the Utipie group.. Student strikes occurred during this time. Most of the protesters “espoused left-wing causes” and a small minority “espoused far-right.” The government in Paris, France was close to collapse. The Inflatable Moment ,by Marc Dessauce, documents this fascinating intersection of architecture and social science and politics. His essays examines the idea of the pneumatic through modernity, and speculates on the symbolic function of inflatable objects in utopian narratives and during revolutionary moments. His books also concludes on the happenings, and “why inflatable furniture nearly came unhappened again.”