A New Unity: the illustrious drawing

Critical of the abstractions of Expressionism and the tragic outcomes of the first mechanized war, Neue Sachlichkeit, an art and architecture movement, also known entitled Magic Realism by the German art critic, Franz Roh, conceived new forms of representation that praised the objects and routines of everyday life in a precise yet mysterious manner. In terms of representation, the intention was not imitation; but to present reality anew based on concrete apprehensions of the world. Almost 100 years after Neue Sachlichkeit, the question of how to reconnect with the construction of reality and the pervasiveness of technology has led to remarkably similar forms of expression in today's post-digital illustrations: restrained and sober scenarios, pensive characters, strange light conditions, material tactility and a general sense of nostalgia. The necessity of a meaningful connection with the richness of technology once again is evident and has become the source for unexpected turns in cultural production that puts tacit knowledge back to work. More and more this form of representation has entered the language of architecture. And contradictory to Nicholas Negroponte’s statement, being digital is noticeable in its absence not because of its technological presence, but because of its purposeful humanized aura.