«Loos was a great catalyst for the architecture of his time»

Àngela Cuenca is an art historian, cultural manager and head of Exhibitions at the Museu del Disseny. In recent months she has coordinated the exhibition «Adolf Loos. Espais Privats», a show co-organised and co-produced with La Caixa's Obra Social.

The exhibition on Adolf Loos at the Museu del Disseny is the first to be held in Spain regarding this architectural figure. Why do you think this is?

Despite representing an architectural benchmark, Loos still remains controversial and complex. In spite of this fact, and that the exhibition focuses on his conception of the interior spaces, it is a good opportunity to approach this key figure in the history of architecture.

As the head of exhibitions, what challenges did you face in coordinating the various groups that took part?

All exhibitions represent a challenge in terms of teamwork (scholars, authors, designers, workers, etc.) in which you end up coordinating different interests, views and visions. The most important thing is to be clear about the objective of the exhibition and to work in a collective and harmonious manner in order to achieve this: you end up forming a large family!

And the various collections?

The management of pieces on loan is one of the more sensitive areas. In this case, we relied on the collaboration of private and public entities mainly from Austria (the Hummel collection and the Albertina Museum): we immersed ourselves deeply in Austrian culture and the way of doing things.

Of the almost 200 works that form part of the exhibition, undoubtedly you have a favourite. Which is it?

Choosing one particular item is very difficult for me: there are some wonderful pieces and all have their meaning and value in the context of the exhibition. If I had to make a choice, I‘d highlight the way the exhibition is displayed, the excellent work done by the designers who have made it possible to make a tour of the exhibition in which you can enjoy each and every one of the pieces.

Now that you've delved into the figure of the architect, what do you think Adolf Loos represented for Viennese society in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries?

Fin de siècle Vienna was an incredible moment, a blossoming of thought, society, art, architecture and European society. Loos was a great catalyst for the architecture of his time. I also find it relevant that Loos (unlike other architects) left a written record and this, I think, has also been very important when it comes to assessing his work. Ornament and Crime is still a must read in many universities of architecture.