Humans have this unique conception about creating and producing, which is always forward. You design and produce by filling the space in front of you; then you’re done, task achieved and on to the next goal. Why does it have to always be like that? Was it always like that and later magnified by the industrial revolution?
Is a counter revolution starting to happen? It’s not enough to recycle, we need to produce less. It’s obviously a difficult task to achieve within a system where producing and wasting is the current food. The change isn’t about the system not eating anymore but changing some habits. Design, production and growth can be aimed at another direction. We can counter-produce to stop the waste, hence recycle.
There have been so many social habits changes in the past 10 years, like smoking, including smoking in public spaces; that we could try to do some effort and visualize what is wrong with the remaining or even the new habits. We could minimize or even get rid of a lot of them. Until the 80’s, smoking seemed like a natural thing to do, and a cool one! Can we think of the use of cel phones in a similar way? It’s obviously different as it presents us with so many convenient possibilities, plus the power of instant communication; but is it ruining ours and the planet’s health? We all know these devices don’t help the environment and their production goes through very doubtful procedures. Phones are just one obvious example among so many products we don’t really need, or at least need in so much minor amounts.
The 22nd Triennale di Milano presents Broken Nature: Design Takes On Human Survival, and studies the state of the threads that connect humans to their natural environments. The exhibition looks incredibly “counter-productive” and promising.
For more information visit brokennature.org.
Where there is nothing there is pure harmony. If you are going to fill that space, please be conscious and do it in an elegant way so you protect the entire planet’s environment.
Cheers!