You are summoned as a juror in the case Loos v. Ornament.
Ornament is a crime.
Vienna, 1910 — and a pardon, 2026.
Chapter I, 1897You are the jury. In 1910, ornament was found guilty. To overturn the verdict, choose “not guilty”.
↑ ↓The Secession
„Der Zeit ihre Kunst. Der Kunst ihre Freiheit.“
“To every age its art. To art its freedom.”
Ludwig HevesiThe motto stands above the entrance of the Secession building, opened 12 November 1898.
The dome: about 2,500 gilded leaves and 311 berries — the goldenes Krauthappl, the golden cabbage head.
The Wiener Werkstätte
Founded in May 1903 by Josef Hoffmann, Koloman Moser and Fritz Waerndorfer. Hoffmann’s friends called him „Quadratl-Hoffmann“ — for his love of squares. Three patterns in that spirit: our own designs, not copies.
Draw with your cursor
The loom
A field of 20 × 20 squares. In this world there is nothing to draw on — flip the verdict to use it.
A 14 × 20 pattern that would weave itself as you scroll. In this world nothing is woven — flip the verdict to watch.
Ornament and crime
„Ich habe folgende erkenntnis gefunden und der welt geschenkt: evolution der kultur ist gleichbedeutend mit dem entfernen des ornamentes aus dem gebrauchsgegenstande.“
“I have made the following discovery and given it to the world: the evolution of culture is synonymous with the removal of ornament from objects of everyday use.”
Adolf Loos, lecture of 21 January 1910Exhibits
Testimony
„Da das ornament nicht mehr organisch mit unserer kultur zusammenhängt, ist es auch nicht mehr der ausdruck unserer kultur.“
“Since ornament is no longer organically linked to our culture, it is no longer the expression of our culture either.”
From the record: his friends called him „Quadratl-Hoffmann“, for his fondness for squares.
From the record: Klimt was its first president, in April 1897. Above its door: Der Zeit ihre Kunst. Der Kunst ihre Freiheit.
I did — every one, through the Elementor MCP.
Almost nothing. See Chapter VII.
Pattern library
576 squares and circles, in three colours each. None of them drawn here.
The pardon
„Der ornamentiker muß zwanzig stunden arbeiten, um das einkommen eines modernen arbeiters zu erreichen, der acht stunden arbeitet.“
“The ornamenter has to work twenty hours to earn the income of a modern worker who works eight.”
Adolf Loos, Ornament und VerbrechenVerdict: guilty.
Your vote is the verdict switch at the top of the page. No form, no data collected.
Your vote is the verdict switch at the bottom of the screen. No form, no data collected.
Cast your voteBuilt by an AI agent through the Elementor MCP — TWB Digital, Austria.
Watch the 30-second build time-lapse
Type: Newsreader.