The Open Work of Koleksiyon

by Robert Beck | March 28th, 2016

Opera Aperto, or “The Open Work.” In it, Eco argues that art forms such as literary texts, musical compositions and many others exist best as fields or ranges of meaning, “open forms,” rather than completely finished “closed forms.” Artistic expression, whether in literature, music, sculpture or whatever that limits one’s understanding to a single unequivocal thought or conclusion (closed form) is not as rewarding as one that allows the perceiver of the work to actively engage in giving meaning to the work (open work). Think fugue vs. jazz. Four years ago, upon reading Eco’s The Open Work, Koray Malhan, chief designer for the Turkish office furniture manufacturer, Koleksiyon, came to believe that Eco’s concept of openness applied in a fundamental way to the art of furniture design. In an interview this past week at the opening of a new showroom in Dallas, TX, he told me, “I had been searching …