Deyan Sudjic

A major British cultural figure, Deyan Sudjic is the director of London's celebrated Design Museum. Prior to this prestigious position, Sudjic, who has Yugoslav roots, wrote for the controversial humor magazine "Oz" and also contributed to "The Observer," one of Great Britain's major newspapers, as an art and architecture critic. During the early 1980s, he co-founded the architecture publication "Blueprint," and was long associated with the magazine, before becoming the editor of the Italian/English design journal "Domus." Sudjic has been involved with significant European cultural events, notably as the director of 2002's Venice Architecture Biennale and as a juror for the design of the London Aquatics Centre, which was created by the architect Zaha Hadid for the 2012 Olympics. In addition to his numerous books, including "The Edifice Complex: How the Rich and Powerful Shape the World" and "The Language of Things: Understanding the World of Desirable Objects," Sudjic wrote and narrated the lauded documentary "How Much Does Your Building Weigh, Mr. Foster?," about the design-obsessed British architect Norman Foster. Released in 2010, the production, directed by Spanish filmmakers Carlos Carcas and Norberto Lopez Amado, won the audience award for Best European Film at the San Sebastián International Film Festival.