Description
An in-conversation online event between Dr Sally Huxtable and Professor Annebella Pollen, hosted by the Centre for Creative Arts, Culture and Engagement at London Metropolitan University, and timed to mark the publication of a special issue of the Journal of Design History, edited by Huxtable, dedicated to Design and the Occult.For millennia, people have sought to control the seemingly uncontrollable forces that surround them and find significance, structure, and comfort through the rich seams of occultism and magic that permeate the landscapes, places, lives, art, and objects of the cultures they inhabit. From folk magic and fortune telling, via alchemy and ceremonial magic, to popular astrology and WitchTok, these ideas, beliefs, and practices have been intrinsically connected to the creation and consumption of designed objects, buildings and spaces. However, in spite of the development of interest in occult subjects amongst art historians in recent decades, the relationship between design and the occult has largely been overlooked.
In this in conversation Sally-Anne Huxtable discusses the work she is undertaking to address the lack of design histories of magic, occultism and esotericism with a particular focus on the content and ideas explored her recent special issue of Journal of Design History on ‘Design and the Occult’ (Oxford University Press, 2025) .
| Period | 26 Nov 2025 |
|---|---|
| Held at | London Metropolitan University, United Kingdom |
| Degree of Recognition | International |