What new materials are required now and in the future, and how can we ensure their sustainable production and usage? The design exhibition, Material+, engages with these questions through a combination of research projects, applications, and speculative designs. New materials have always held a critical role in design.
However, with the growing concern over depleting resources and the dual crises of climate change and biodiversity loss, designers are increasingly scrutinizing their material usage. The focus shifts towards environmental requirements and their subsequent social and economic implications. In the larger framework of sustainable design, new materials represent a significant aspect, though not the sole factor.
The exhibition, divided into three sections, presents a curated collection of design objects that explore the usage of new materials. It examines different aspects of the material cycle, from resource extraction and processing to application and use, and eventually, to reuse or return to the environment. It becomes evident that sustainable design does not solely hinge on the choice of new materials, but also considers the entire material life cycle.
RESOURCES AND PROCESSING
Can we create packaging from food waste? Can chairs be grown from minerals? Can shoes be made of lignin? The section on “Resources and processing” delves into the evolution and application of new materials derived from regenerative or recycled raw materials. Exhibits, including work by Tom Dixon and Maurizio Montalti, demonstrate how design can contribute to more efficient resource usage.
USAGE AND LIFE CYCLE
The “Usage and life cycle” section focuses on the development and application of new materials. Whether it’s textiles made from cellulose or chairs created from recycled plastics, the durability of the materials should align with the expected lifespan of the objects, thereby minimizing unnecessary waste and energy consumption. This section includes works by Stefan Diez and Steelcase.
RETURNING TO THE ENVIRONMENT
Design doesn’t start with the use of materials, nor does it end when the product’s utility ceases. The “Returning to the environment” section probes the development and usage of new materials capable of being wholly and effortlessly returned to nature. Items like bicycle helmets made of mycelia, containers made from seaweed, or disposable packaging made from eel grass release no toxic substances or microplastics into the environment. The exhibition features items using such materials by Studio Klarenbeek & Dros and Notpla.
COOPERATION
The exhibition, set up in the six facade rooms, is curated by Bayern Design and represents a collaborative effort between the Neues Museum Nürnberg and Bayern Design. The Materiability Research Group supports the exhibition, which runs from 21.04.2023 to 03.09.2023 with Araneo, a result from the course Bioplastic Robotic Materialisation and custom prepared luminescent bioplastic samples.
