https://open.spotify.com/embed/episode/2DYo5LDV4gl3S2QqtZyCel?utm_source=generator
In this episode of Decorated, we delve into the intersection of interior design, queer memory, and activism during the HIV/AIDS crisis of the 1980s and 1990s. Recorded live at Parsons School of Design in connection with the exhibition AIDS at The New School: What is Remembered by Stan Walden, this episode captures a moving panel discussion featuring designers, curators, educators, and historians.
Design as a tool for activism and memory
The panel reflects on how interiors functioned as sites of resistance, healing, and visibility during the HIV/AIDS epidemic. From clubs like Paradise Garage to housing initiatives by Housing Works, spaces shaped and were shaped by the queer experience.
The political agency of interior design
Why is interior design often dismissed as apolitical? Guests explore how objects, domesticity, and nightclub design carried radical political potential.
Personal stories of loss, survival, and community
Jamie Drake recalls friends lost to AIDS and how those memories inform his work. Cotter and Will discuss the emotional origins of the exhibition and podcast. The panel honors interior designers such as Alan Buchsbaum and Valerian Rybar.
Legacy through archives and education
Gavin Browning’s multimedia timeline on Housing Works shows how built environments can empower marginalized communities. Stan Walden uses archival furniture, cassette tapes, and immersive exhibition design to preserve overlooked queer histories.