In this episode, Pauline sits down with Paola Antonelli, the visionary Senior Curator of Architecture & Design and founding Director of Research & Development at the Museum of Modern Art, whose career has been dedicated to helping people see the extraordinary in the ordinary.

Antonelli challenges the idea that great design is about perfection. Instead, she argues, it’s about intention: function with a point of view. From jolie-laide objects we can’t stop staring at (yes, the Cybertruck) to the lasting joy of a Vespa, she argues that the opposite of beauty isn’t ugliness; it's indifference.

Together, Pauline and Paola explore secondhand fashion, the sensory limits of “pixel taste,” and why social media demands a stronger critical spine. A playful “design redemption” lightning round reveals the hidden genius of everyday objects—from shopping carts to traffic dividers—before closing with a provocative look at what meaningful design will become by the year 2050.

Curious to understand the difference between art and design - and why it matters? Tune in for this masterclass in Aesthetic Intelligence.