Amo

Amo, by Henry van de Velde, is a provocative manifesto that fuses art and philosophy to argue that love must revive the waning faith in modern design and architecture. Written at the turn of the 20th century, van de Velde challenges inherited classical forms and hollow ornament, insisting that authentic aesthetic practice springs from a lived conviction—an active love—rather than passive belief. He examines how functions, symbols, and materials lost meaning when styles were copied without care, and proposes a renewed artistic integrity rooted in craftsmanship, utility, and sincere feeling. Blending cultural critique with practical reflection, Amo traces the crisis of contemporary taste and proposes an ethical foundation for the arts and crafts. Van de Velde’s essays anticipate modernist debates about ornament, purpose, and the social role of the designer, making the work both historically significant and immediately relevant to debates about form and function. Ideal for listeners interested in art, design history, architecture, and philosophical aesthetics, this audiobook offers a compact, thought-provoking account of how emotion and conviction can reshape creative practice. Listen to Amo for piercing insight into the origins of modern design thinking and the moral case for beauty.