The projects exhibited at alter. are selected through a screening process by its committee members. The members comprise a diverse range of professionals, including curators at world-renowned design and art institutions such as MoMA and the Centre Pompidou, as well as directors of cutting-edge design media and designers actively engaged in various fields. On this website, we will publish interviews with the committee members as part of disclosing alter.‘s process.
The second committee member we are honored to introduce is Tanja Cunz Hwang, curator in the Architecture and Design Department at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York. With an international curatorial background spanning M+ in Hong Kong and the Vitra Design Museum in Germany, she brings a deep commitment to expanding the global scope of design discourse. At MoMA, she leads initiatives in exhibition-making and collection development, with a particular focus on amplifying design narratives from non-Western regions, especially across Asia. We asked her what she expects from alter. as someone who pursues diversity in design.
Expanding Exchange and Connections with Non-Western Regions
— Could you tell us about your current work and activities?
Since 2024, I’ve been working in New York as a curator in MoMA’s Architecture and Design Department, where I am engaging in future exhibitions, collection development, and publishing initiatives. I’m also involved in several research efforts, including C-MAP (Contemporary and Modern Art Perspectives), which examines artistic and design histories beyond North America and Western Europe. Within that, my focus is heavily on East and Southeast Asia.
— What were you doing before joining MoMA?
Between 2021 and 2023, I was Associate Curator in the Design and Architecture Department at M+ in Hong Kong. Prior to that, I held various curatorial roles at the Vitra Design Museum in Germany, where I co-curated exhibitions such as Gae Aulenti: A Creative Universe (2020), Objects of Desire: Surrealism and Design 1924–Today (2019), and An Eames Celebration (2017).
— Looking back at your career, are there any memorable projects or ones that exemplify your work?
My time at M+ was pivotal, it shifted my curatorial lens toward regions beyond Europe and North America. One particularly meaningful project was Madame Song: Pioneering Art and Fashion in China (2023), which I co-curated and which focused on the pioneering businesswoman and what we might today call “influencer” Song Huai-Kuei and her singular impact on the transformation of visual culture in post-reform China, especially in relation to the rise of the fashion industry.
I also contributed to the museum’s growing collection, with a particular focus on fashion and textile designers from East, Southeast, and South Asia.
Another notable experience during that time was participating in the Hyundai Blue Prize Design Award in 2022. I conceptualized an exhibition that invited designers worldwide to envision a “Future Normal” in the aftermath of the pandemic, emphasizing collective and collaborative approaches to creativity. I continue to develop my thinking around these themes in the work I am doing today.
— You’ve developed many initiatives focused on Asia.
Yes, my experience in Hong Kong deepened my interest in the larger region and prompted me to think critically about how my background in Western design institutions could intersect with broader, global narratives. At MoMA, I’m working to expand our modern design holdings by incorporating more works from Asia so that they not only represent the region but also spark dialogue with existing works in our collection, highlighting transnational pollination and exchange.
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Ethics and Responsibilities Designers Should Uphold
— What impression did you have when invited to join alter. as a committee member?
I’m genuinely excited to be part of alter.’s inaugural edition! What stood out to me was its mission, the strong emphasis on emerging Japanese designers and a desire to explore bold, boundary-pushing ideas that expand the possibilities of the design field.
— What challenges do you think the design industry and creators currently face?
Given the scale of the global environmental crisis, ethical and sustainable approaches have become more urgent than ever. One key challenge is designing with the full lifecycle of a product in mind. Design can no longer focus solely on functionality or aesthetics. We need to consider environmental impacts at every stage, including in digital products, which also carry significant energy costs.
Another challenge is the emergence of Artificial Intelligence (AI). It’s already influencing fields where computers are integral to the design process, including graphic design, web design, industrial design, and fashion. And while AI offers promising tools, it also challenges our understanding of creativity and originality. It will certainly lead to deep shifts, some constructive, others disruptive, across the creative industries.
Traditional craft practices have also been under pressure since industrialization, and this continues in the digital era. Craft often involves repetitive, labor-intensive processes and can be economically unsustainable, especially for younger generations. That said, the growing debate around AI is also reviving appreciation for the value of manual and embodied knowledge.
— The craft issue connects to Japanese design. What’s your impression of Japanese design and creativity?
Japan has such an incredible legacy of craftsmanship, where aesthetic philosophy and technical excellence go hand in hand. That sensibility has shaped a remarkably distinctive design culture for the country and its diaspora.
I admire so many Japanese designers, like Shoji Hamada, Kanjiro Kawai, Sori Yanagi, Reiko Tanabe, Isamu Kenmochi, Shiro Kuramata, Tokujin Yoshioka, Naoto Fukasawa—the list goes on! And, of course, international fashion visionaries like Rei Kawakubo and Issey Miyake. Their work and that of so many others continues to inspire new generations by blending Japanese traditions with forward-thinking expression and values.
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Beyond Function: Design That Transcends Problem-Solving
— Are there movements, philosophies, or technologies that currently interest you?
Yes, a number of emerging areas interest me greatly, for example, ecological awareness, which is driving really exciting developments in material and technological innovation. There’s also growing momentum around inclusive design, which aims to increase access and meet the needs of people with disabilities or those historically excluded from mainstream design. That is wonderful to see and I am following developments in this area closely.
I’m also reading a lot about the increased attention being paid to non-human perspectives; thinking about other life with whom we share this planet, and how design has historically overlooked it.
Overall, from a historical standpoint at least, there’s a real shift toward more global design narratives and a critical reassessment of colonial ideologies in the field. Alongside this, there’s this renewed interest in craft and indigenous knowledge systems, areas that are both rich in tradition and innovation. It’s an exciting time.
— Will you evaluate alter. participants from these perspectives?
Yes! I hope to encounter proposals that address contemporary challenges through thoughtful and ethical approaches. I’m particularly drawn to work that explores the full spectrum of “function,” from practical use to emotional, cultural, or symbolic meaning.
Given that alter. highlights emerging designers, I am really looking forward to seeing fresh, hybrid perspectives and projects that transcend binary frameworks, like local vs. global, and instead interweave both dimensions in hopefully meaningful ways.
— Product design often emphasizes “function.” How do you define “function” in design?
Traditionally, especially within Western modernist discourse, function has referred to a design’s ability to solve a specific problem and often guiding or even dictating its form. Louis Sullivan’s phrase that “form follows function” captures this well.
However, I really see function as much broader than that; it has to be because outside of industrial design, an object’s function can also be emotional, aesthetic, or cultural. Or it might communicate values or preserve heritage. So the question becomes: is function the driving force behind a design, or is it just one of many considerations that shape its meaning and use?
— How would you briefly define the essential qualities of “product design”?
If I had to choose, I would highlight accessibility and appeal. Accessibility really refers to availability and usability (often supported by reproducibility), while appeal encompasses both practical and aesthetic dimensions. Together, these qualities allow a product to connect meaningfully with a wide range of users.
— What three criteria will guide your evaluation of the products? Please give us three keywords.
My main three criteria for evaluation will be ‘need,’ i.e. does the work address a gap or provoke a meaningful question, ‘purpose,’ i.e. does it do so in a compelling or innovative way, and ‘functionality:’ Is it oriented toward the user, and how does it serve them?
Of course, I will apply these criteria with flexibility, especially for proposals rooted in craft, ideology, and/or conceptual frameworks.
I’m really looking forward to seeing all the fantastic work from different passionate makers, each with their own stories, perspectives, and hopes for the future.