Publisher: Mudac, RADDAR Editions, ISBN: 9782378966317 ![]()
, Authors: Alexandra Midal, Format: Softcover, 12 x 19cm, 64pp
Drawing on the story of Ann Lee, founder in 1774 of the egalitarian Shaker sect, Witches of Design brings together Shaker design – famous for its rocking chairs, flat brooms, and other iconic objects – with the rebellious figure of the witch. In 1837, ecstatic trances disrupted the established order of rituals, and the sect entered what became known as the “Era of Manifestations.”
Animated by the spirit of Ann Lee, a group of unruly sisters begin to vibrate, whirl, and repurpose objects of design in order to reclaim the freedom that had been insidiously taken from them over the decades. The result is a narrative in which the history of design intertwines with insubordination, trance, and the creative power of women.
The Hexenhaus is a testament to the early, radical style of the Smithsons, to the corrective and anti-aesthetic character of their finest designs – and at the same time, a monument to the professional work of influential architects themselves.