Thoughts to “mend” the Planet

Last September 1st was the closing day of the International Exposition at the Triennale di Milano: a 6-month exhibition of meaningful projects, products, systems and interfaces to answer some of nowadays big questions. How can designers, scientists, politicians and scholars help the citizens face the environment urgent issues in a constructive way? How can they stimulate the people to join their personal initiatives in a common long-term perspective? What does “respecting the environment” mean in an age of mass transfers, artificial intelligence and fast extinctions? Which strategies should be implemented to face the climate change? After the last months’ big activism (“Greta effect”) the exhibition Broken Nature – curated by Paola Antonelli, curator of the New York MOMA design&architecture department and director of the research&development department – has the farsighted and urgent aim to encourage an inclusive approach to the issues that threaten life as a whole, to spread thankful vs. disheartened behaviors, to increase the respect towards our social and environmental systems promoting a sustainable perspective for future generations. «Designers and scientists’ social responsibility implies that they should take a sort of Hippocratic Oath, as physicians do» Antonelli declares. «It is obvious that designers convert into daily objects and tools the scientists’ discoveries. Even a single material can make a difference in this scenario, not just an aesthetic but an ethic one. Just think about the bioplastic obtained from vegetable polymers, or the animal-free organic leathers obtained from mushroom roots or the silk produced with protein-based yeast: super light, recyclable, compostable and long-lasting ». The next stage of Broken Nature will be disclosed soon, starting from MOMA. Info: brokennature.org.

Giuliana Zoppis