Material Matters: a future furniture fair at DDW

While we are hit with glooming predictions of ever increasing material scarcity, our material culture—from the way we consume and dispose, to the way we produce and collect, to the way we design and develop business models— largely remains unchanged.

However, if one looks closely, new, old and speculative solutions to material scarcity are abundant. From classic models of reuse, to new and speculative ways of growing and gathering materials, to reviving, sharing, digitalizing, or otherwise avoiding them, a multitude of possible approaches are available.

As part of Dutch Design Week, this second edition of Material Matters brought together existing, emerging and speculative initiatives by scientists, designers, entrepreneurs and ourselves, and presented them as 38 imaginary future companies that might come to thrive in the near future. The future furniture fair aims to stimulate designers to develop business models urged by material scarcity, and to broaden discussions on the future of our material culture.

Dutch Design Week
October 20- 28, 2012

Lecture series

Featuring 2012Architecten, N55 and Studio Swine.
October 26

Credits
Concept and direction: Renny Ramakers (Droog)
Content and project manager: Agata Jaworska (Droog Lab)
Exhibition and brand graphics: TD (Theo Deutinger, Stefanos Filippas, Elisa Mante, Dario Marino, Paul Valeanu)
Droog Lab interns: Callum Copley, Wendy Smith
Featuring work by: 2012Architecten, Alexandra Daisy Ginsberg, Andreas Möller, anothermountainman, Christien Meindertsma, Droog, FairPhone, Fernando Brízio, Graffiti Network, Han Koning, Heleen Klopper, Humade, IDEO, Jamie Shaw, Jet Vervest, Joshua Klein, Justin McGuirk, Kerry Howley, Kieren Jones, Louise Maniette, Marjan van Aubel, Markus Kayser Studio, Martino d’Esposito (ECAL), Monosol, N55, Stefan Schwabe, Studio Swine (Alexander Groves, Azusa Murakami), Studio Tjeerd Veenhoven, Suzanne Lee, Tarmo Piirmets, TD, Tejo Remy, Tomorrow-Lab, University of California San Francisco Lim Lab, Waag Society
Funding: DOEN Foundation

Droog Lab raises topics and initiates projects in collaboration with designers, clients and partners worldwide with the aim of stimulating innovation and debate in design and society.