Every year, current events affect the directions of research and culture, but the influence of the events of this year can not be overstated. Who can not say that the past almost two years have not left them “on edge” in some way? 

The fifth annual Interior Provocations symposium, “On Edge,” to be held in hybrid format, virtually and in-person at Pratt Institute on April 9, 2022, takes the theme of “on edge” to explore ways that interiors upset or institute our edges, whether physical, conceptual or psychological, imagined, implied, necessary or discriminatory. We welcome papers that explore these questions in history, theory and praxis, across time, culture and place. In seeking to reconsider the shift, need and power for such edges as boundaries, thresholds and screens, we look both to the past and future about how to accommodate fluidity, accessibility and security. 

The broadly outlined theme reflects the interest in wide-ranging interpretation. The conference encourages provocative and boundary-expanding proposals from design practitioners, historians, and theorists that challenge traditional assumptions and investigate overlooked parameters or influences. In brief, we seek inquiry that sets our thinking about the fields of interior design on edge.