The centenary of World War I is an occasion for Het Nieuwe Instituut to reconsider the history of progress. In response to Absorbing Modernity 1914–2014, the theme of Biennale Architettura 2014, the work and ideas of Dutch architect Jaap Bakema (1914–1981) are given centre stage. Bakema aimed to build a new, open society that was democratic, egalitarian and all-inclusive. What is the relevance of such idealism today? What was the open society then? And what could it be today?
