Bauhaus Building, Dessau, 1925-1926: View from the west during construction c. 1926

Curator: This photograph, taken by Photothek, captures the Bauhaus Building in Dessau during its construction, around 1925-1926. Editor: There's an austere beauty to the structure, even in its unfinished state, with all that exposed concrete and glass. Curator: It's fascinating to consider the Bauhaus as a site for challenging traditional craft hierarchies, particularly how the building itself embodied a synthesis of art, craft, and technology, all in service of a radical social vision. Editor: Absolutely. The visible means of production, that construction process, speaks volumes. The materials here are not just functional; they signify the ethos of the Bauhaus itself—accessible, modern, and mass-producible. Curator: It became a contested symbol and represented both utopian ideals and, later, repression under authoritarian regimes in Germany. Editor: Seeing this image, I'm reminded of how the Bauhaus sought to redefine artistic labor, but it's also a reminder of the building's significance to the labor undertaken. Curator: A really fascinating image that highlights the intersection of design, labor, and political ideology. Editor: Indeed. A glimpse into the making of a movement.