I Prefer Not To - Jan de Vylder

What if the architect would systemically cultivate the uncom­fortable yet urgent art of saying ‘NO’? How many architects really acknowledge that declaring ‘NO’ to irrelevant briefs or other impertinent opportunities is a fundamental social responsibility of the pro­fession? And can this ethical ‘NO’ be considered productive for the public good? The self-evident though elusive answer is: ‘YES’, of course. This small-scale series offers an inclusive stage for architects, artists and designers who have claimed ‘NO’ at a crucial point in their professional career. It wishes to put to the fore the rewarding but scarce praxis of critical ab­stinence. The quote ‘I prefer not to’ originates from Herman Melville’s short story ‘Bartleby, the scrivener: A story of Wall Street’ (1853).