Geert van Istendael (Belgium writer & poet, 1999) “Pretentions, yes, an avant-garde that says to be artistic but in fact only wants to sell their products. As expensive as possible. Sustainability is not a factor. Usability? Never heard of it. Price? Money is not an issue. May not be an issue. The effects are disastrous.
Because designers rather think about their job than about the effects of their job, daily life becomes more ugly and contradictive.  Poor, unpractical and especially quickly wearing stuff out of bad building materials, staples. The models are not available in the shops yet and the parts are not in stock anymore. And above all, it has to break down quickly. Well, that is the perversity of the subject. Who does not design for eternity, okay, I can accept that, but who does not design for seven generations, better stops in designing. “

 
Van Istendael was influenced by the Dutchman Simon Mari Pruys. As soon as in 1974, he wrote a book called ‘Builders of the Paradise: Anti-Artistic notes about the Built Environment’. In the chapter ‘beauty without purpose’ he says the following:
 
“Convulsively they strive for beauty, as in the 19th century. The result is nothing but temporary beauty, also known as fashion. That may not be terrible, but the problem is that the obsolescence of a product that technically speaking is a neccessity, means waste. Waste of ground materials, energy and labour.“