Nostalgia for a World That Never Existed

Contemporary geopolitics indicate that primordial conceptions of nations reproduce exclusionary frameworks and are no longer capable of expressing the complexities of contemporary identities. These ideas of nationalism are not sustained through explicit ideological exhortation, but through implicit, repetitive, and symbolic reinforcement. Žan Kobal uses the narrative power of design to create new mythologies around material culture and reveal a history of a world in flux. A world where primordial conceptions of nations are foundational, not fundamental, and where contemporary cultures emerge over time through social exchange. Rather than burning bridges with history, the designer examines and unfolds the complexities of cultural cannons, digging up denied aspects of the past.