MILAN DESIGN WEEK | EAT SHIT | VENTURA LAMBRATE
We are sure that the creative director of Design Academy Eindhoven, Thomas Widdershoven was initially nervous to come to Milan with a topic like shit, but he felt the more they discussed it, the more they realized it was absolutely necessary. Yes the title is explosive, but it is also entirely appropriate. The exhibition has been designed to present the breadth and attack of the Design Academy Eindhoven’s new Food Non Food department. I mean you can’t help but laugh at the word shit, crap or even poo, who doesn’t have a giggle at a little toilet humor. ‘Eat Shit’ is a definition of the human condition. You eat, you shit, you eat, you shit, and then you die, we totally appreciate their bluntness.
I subject like ‘Eat Shit’ also reflects and embraces ‘Shit’ as a resource and as waste. With ‘Shit’ becoming a valuable resource that sits at the beginning and end of the food chain. But ‘Shit’ ( love how many times we can say ‘Shit’ and it be ok ) can also be a term we use quite frequently when it comes to dissing our contemporary fast and consumer lifestyle. Thanks to BioArt Laboratories who collaborated with ‘Eat Shit’ designers were able to use and acquaint themselves with the most cutting edge biotechnological materials. One particular piece that caught our eye due to it’s use of these biotechnological techniques was Amsterdam based designer Teresa Van Dongen.
How can ‘this way for octopus shit” not intrigue you, we were invited into this hidden room to view Teresa’s work called ‘Ambio’. A sculptural light just floating in a hidden industrial corner within the ‘Eat Shit’ location. The lights were turned off and wow it was like being in the sea at night when the coral glows, this phenomenon is caused by bio luminescent micro-organisms in seawater that emit light when provided with oxygen every time a wave turnes. This gift of nature inspired her to fuse design and biology into a bio luminescent light installation. Ambio balances two weights and a glass tube half-filled with a “Artificial Seawater Medium” containing a carefully selected type of these unique luminescent species. Give the lamp a gentle push every so often and the weights will keep it moving and thus glowing. Ambio is a visualization on research on how to use nature as a source of energy.
The bacteria (Photobacterium species, isolated from the octopus) are provided by B.M. Joosse and R.M.P. Groen, two Life Science and Technology students at the TU Delft who currently work on prolonging the lifespan of the population for a possible next generation of Ambio.
Detailed Product Shots & Video by Teresa Van Dongen
Images by Emma Elizabeth
© LOCAL DESIGN
