More is More

Would it help if I dug a hole?
Fischli &Weiss

Less is more was the motto coined by Mies van der Rohe for modernism in architecture worldwide. The phrase became the basis for rational functionalism which condemned all ornament and proclaimed it deplorable. What did modern artists and thinkers have against glut? What is the significance of excess that was to be done away with? What common dream is hidden behind this gesture? Is it simply about a rationally constructed utopia that will enable creation of a good and happy society? Do chaos and excess pose danger?