'Design Dilemma' Mia Karlova Galerie 2021, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Design Dilemma
An exhibition which investigates some of the most pressing challenges facing designers today. We live in a world of over-production, over-consumption and heavy traveling. We have been engaged in fast fashion for decades; we are increasingly realising this and starting to recognise the necessity of changing our habits.
Design Dilemma looks at how these issues translate into the design industry by asking the following questions. Should designers also bear some responsibility for their impact on the environment? How should designers reconcile between the desire to create with the responsibility of overloading the planet with new works? Should designers use alternative, sustainable materials or adopt an entire circular making system? With new works by Vadim Kibardin, Femke van Gemert, Anton Brunberg and Teun Zwets, the show delves into the practice of reuse while interrogating the source of creativity.
16 September - 24 October 2021
"The exhibition will be presented during GLUE Amsterdam connected by design 16-19 September 2021.
You might consider Vadim Kibardin a sort of pioneer of circular design, using everyday packaging as his construction material. Paper and cardboard waste are his sculptural medium. His Totem stools and a one-off exclusive for Design Dilemma, Dolly chair, will make their debut at the show.
Dutch artist Femke van Gemert has created four pieces, all made with reused materials such as textile surplus, leftover paint and plastic waste. Her triptych Diggin’ the Dirt, Mouldy Magic & Heating Up speaks to our relationship with social media, while Earthly Part 1 and Land & Water II celebrate the resilience of nature and its renewal. An in-situ installation titled Anthroposcenic constructed from found debris and clothing remnants invites viewers to reflect on how humans have impacted Earth’s ecosystem.
Teun Zwets, Design Academy Eindhoven graduate, focuses on the idea of usability and questioning our throwaway culture. Made from reclaimed floors, his Beam cabinet features a geometric sculptural facade for a prime example of circular design where waste is given value."
To learn more about Design Dilemma, visit miakarlova.com.
Kelly Beall for Design Milk.