Safety Vests Beware of Software by Mieke Gerritzen and Geert Lovink

Mieke Gerritzen and Geert Lovink
Safety Vests (Beware of Software), 2010
Lot: #2914 (50 safety vests)

A batch of plain safety vests is transformed into a bold cultural commentary. Mieke Gerritzen, with text by Geert Lovink, turns these fluorescent garments into wearable warnings for the digital age. Stamped with “Beware of Software,” the vests blend pop aesthetics with media critique — safety gear reimagined as a statement on attention, control, and our screen-obsessed reality.

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Droog bought 5,135 leftover items from Dutch liquidation auctions: everything from handkerchiefs and dog baskets to mirrors and salt shakers. They invited 14 designers to “revive” the lots into a collection of 19 products, each sold in editions limited by the size of the lot, and launched the result during Salone del Mobile, Milan, 2010.

The concept was accompanied by a short manifesto (about re-directing creative energy and redesigning lifecycles) and a charming “new owner” photo campaign that documented each purchaser right after checkout.