Conferences

This past May, Material ConneXion presented its second-annual design conference, entitled TERRA MATTER: Inspire Innovate Sustain. Following the successful Malfatto program of 2005, both presenter and participants had high expectations: by all accounts, both groups left completely satisfied.

Bigger and more ambitious than the program of the year before, TERRA MATTER brought together almost two dozen speakers over two days of programming. Among the presenters were fashion designers, architects, scientists, educators, graphic designers, artists, and many more. And while they came from different backgrounds, disciplines, and countries, they all came together to discuss a singular topic: our natural environment. Where do they find their inspiration? How can we conserve our natural resources? How do we preserve our world for future generations?

Hosting the proceedings was Laetitia Wolff, senior design editor for Surface Magazine. In introducing the overall lineup of talent, she referred to them as "men and women of action": and when the program was over, there was not a single person in the audience who could take issue with that statement.

Leading off the "Inspire" section of the program was Natalie Chanin of Project Alabama. After working as a designer and stylist, she returned to her birthplace in 2000 to found Project Alabama, a groundbreaking effort to redefine the way in which "fashion" is made. Now in its fifth year, the group offers a full range of women's collections as well as a line of men's T-shirts and home accessories, all produced by hand by local seamstresses. A project in more than name, this endeavor seeks to sustain materials through the use of recycled textiles, to sustain craft and tradition through the use and reinvigoration of local quilting circles, and finally, to produce products that embody the care and skill of their creators such that they become cherished and enduring possessions.

Following Nathalie was Michele Oka Doner, one of today's foremost artist-designers, whose artistic production encompasses sculpture, furniture, jewelry, public art, and functional objects. Fueled by a lifelong study and appreciation of the natural world along with a nimble command of literature and more formal research, Michele spoke eloquently of her work inspired by the natural treasures of her native Florida. Through the integration of the myriad creatures that inhabit the seas into everything from sculptures to vases to airport concourses, Michele makes the, usually invisible, life-chain of organisms that sustains us visible to everyone. This not only draws us closer to the natural world around us, but Michele's creations also amplify the beauty of life that often lies just out of sight.

Jill Dumain of Patagonia wrapped up the morning session on a completely different note. Having worked at the company from the time she was still in college up through her current role as Director of Environmental Analysis, Jill was in a unique position to represent the equally unique corporate philosophy that pervades Patagonia. As a company that seeks to "cause no unnecessary harm" through their activities, they are constantly seeking a balance between the needs of the company and the needs of the environment around them. Whether they are promoting sound environmental policies or figuring out new ways to utilize recycled fibers and polymers in their products, they must remain vigilant to the needs of their customers (who do some pretty extreme things with their products) and the needs of the company. Jill finished out the "Inspire" part of the program with a note of inspired corporate leadership that many other companies could use to hear.

Coming back after lunch to begin the "Innovate" portion the audience was treated to a completely new presentation by designer, and fuseproject founder, Yves Behar. Yves's design strategy involves focusing on the emotional experience of the user and communicating it through storytelling; and his presentation told the story of a people who were looking to get "back to nature," (but in a way that didn't require challenging the public decency laws of their jurisdiction). Pointing out that many people were growing increasingly conscious of the responsibility reflected in the products they possessed, Yves spoke of designers facing a number of forks in the road. The first fork was to act or to ignore and, when the choice was to act, to do less or to do more. He presented numerous examples of his own path - use new technology to create smarter products - including his Leaf lamp (launched at ICFF the next day) which incorporates LED technology to create both cool task lighting and warm ambient lighting that, additionally, require significantly less electricity than either incandescent or fluorescent bulbs.

Who better to follow a technophile designer, than a scientist/designer. Dr. Michael Braungart, a chemist and co-founder of MBDC, McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry, started his talk off with the statement, "if 'sustainability' is a big goal, it's not much: it's just a minimum." Rather than focus on "sustainable" design, he posited, we should focus on good design: intelligent, aesthetic and eco-effective design. He then proceeded to tear through the design and manufacturing world with such proclamations as, in referring to a child's toy manufactured from a particularly noxious polymer, "you don't need to go to Iraq to find weapons of mass destruction, you have them here." His firm's "Cradle to Cradle" philosophy stresses a total life cycle of a product's materials, and he was merciless in pointing out the inability to design for any outcome other than waste.

Following these two "innovators" was our very own Dr. Andrew Dent, VP of our library and materials research. Andrew presented his "Top Ten" list of sustainable materials from our library, including a wide range of fibers, biopolymers, and processes.

The final section of the program, "Sustain," was kicked off by Leslie Hoffman, who is no stranger to the endeavors of the movement. As executive director of Earth Pledge, she is a pioneer in the fields of sustainable architecture and agriculture. Since joining Earth Pledge in 1994, she has spearheaded the nonprofit's four core initiatives: Green Roofs, Farm to Table, Waste=Fuel, and FutureFashion, all of which use research, education and demonstration to deliver viable models of sustainability to government, industry, and communities. Leslie focused on the most recent of these, FutureFashion, which is their effort to educate the apparel industry about the hazards inherent in certain materials, and the promise that is offered by a wide range of alternative materials.

Sami Hayek, an award-winning furniture and architectural designer who has completed works ranging from carbon-fiber furniture to large-scale architectural renovation projects throughout Mexico. His work has been showcased at the Pacific Design Center in Los Angeles and the Salon du Meuble in Paris. Sami brought this international experience to the audience, speaking about a variety of projects that spanned not only countries, but also economic barriers. Among the issues that he raised were those of cultural and perceptual barriers to sustainable development in places like Mexico, where the topic receives less attention and even less information.

In the final spot on the day's program was Sergio Palleroni, currently a Professor at the Center for Sustainable Development at the University of Texas, Austin. Sergio has worked on housing and community development in the developing world since the 1970s for such international agencies as UNESCO, World Bank, and the governments of Nicaragua, Mexico, Colombia, and Costa Rica. Sergio's presentation focused on the role of the local culture and context in the execution of sustainable development. With a large number of architects and designers from developed countries creating projects in developing areas, it is extremely important for them to understand the lives, the needs, and the spirit of the communities they are working in. In contrast to some of the earlier speakers, he highlighted the importance of locally sourced materials. Sergio illustrated his talk with some of the exceptional projects that he has been involved with around the globe: from Mexico to India.

Sergio's remarkable talk was a remarkable end to a very full day: but it was just the beginning!

The next day marked the opening day of the International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF), featuring not one, but two Material ConneXion exhibits, as well as a second day of programming for TERRA MATTER. This Saturday program was much more intimate, and featured both individual speakers as well as panels.

Opening the program was a presentation by Professor Arturo Dell'Acqua Bellavitis, vice president of the Triennale Foundation in Milan, Italy, and professor of industrial design at the Politecnico of Milan. Professor Dell'Acqua presented a strong case for the tradition of Italian design and the great strides that were being made to advance it through the incorporation of technology: technology that served not only to increase innovation and opportunities, but also served to make for more sustainable products. Professor Dell'Acqua was joined by Marco Pagnoncelli, Minister of Handicraft and Services in the Lombardy region of Italy, and by Giovanni Bifulco, Trade Commissioner of the Atlanta office of the Italian Trade Commission.

Following the presentation by the Italians was a group presentation by four different companies all working with the same material: NatureWorks plastics and synthetic fibers. This product, which creates plastics and fibers from corn starch, allows manufacturers to create everything from textiles to containers from a renewable raw material and with the resulting product capable of being composted as opposed to being relegated to a landfill. Contributing their company's story of working with this remarkable product were Steve Davies, Director, Fibers Global Business Development at NatureWorks; Eric Moen, President and CEO of Pacific Coast Feather Company; Alejandra Kolyvakis from Linda Loudermilk; Marlene Sandberg of Naty AB; and Dr. Gordon Chiu of Aquavibe. Equally as impressive as the diversity of the products that are successfully using this material is the uniformity of the praise that these manufacturers had for it.

From there, the program took a completely different turn, presenting Janet Echelman, a sculptor who works primarily with textiles. Her most recent project, a $1.6 million, 160-foot-tall permanent commission on the coast of Portugal, was the primary subject of her talk and was one of the most striking presentations of the day. The piece, which Sculpture magazine called, "one of the truly significant public artworks in recent years," resembles a large fishing net suspended in a traffic rotary. The ultimate expression of economy of materials, the piece fills a space equivalent to a small building, yet can be packed into a large bag for transport. Also taking advantage of the properties of the textile, the piece sways and cycles in the offshore winds that ply the city.

Taking some cues from his preceding presenter, Philippine designer Kenneth Cobonpue treated the audience to an inside look at the processes that he uses to create his modern pieces. Combined with many of the traditional crafts of his native country, Kenneth also uses many novel materials such as carbon fiber to effect his airy yet substantial pieces.

Dror Benshetrit, another world-renowned designer, took over the reigns from Kenneth to present some of his recent projects that dealt with a wide range of material explorations. Having worked with ceramics in the past - most notably with Rosenthal on their "smashed" series - Dror focused much of his presentation on the material, highlighting the numerous possibilities. Of particular note were his ceramic jewelry pieces fashioned for Girbaud: the pieces begin with fur dipped in the liquid ceramic, allowing it to be formed in ways that would otherwise be impossible. When the pieces are fired, the fur is burned away, leaving wonderfully amorphous shapes behind.

The final presentation of the program was given by Deborah Adler, a graphic designer with Milton Glaser, Inc., along side Amanda Holder, the Sustainable Packaging Development Engineer for Berry Plastics Corporation. After Deborah's relative mistakenly took prescription medicine that was not hers, Deborah did what all good designers do: she designed a solution. What began as a personal mission, turned into a thesis project, which ultimately became Target's new ClearRX prescription bottle. What Deborah found out in the course of this was that prescription bottles are not recyclable, and Amanda walked the audience through some of the issues and advances on the horizon.

And with that, two days of diverse, entertaining, intelligent, and informative program was over! Those of us at Material ConneXion are indebted to all of the presenters, as well as all of our sponsors: first and foremost, Target as our lead sponsor; Surface Magazine; ICFF, I.D. Magazine; Interiors & Sources; The Architects Newspaper; Azure Magazine; ASID; IDSA; the Italian Trade Commission; Regione Lombardia; and CLAC.

We look forward to seeing everyone at TERRA MATTER X - celebrating 10 years of Material ConneXion - next May!

"Malfatto: Imperfect Design for a Better World?"
Material Connexion's Provocative Symposium Posed Complex Questions on Industrialized Design

New York, NY---On May 13, 2005, Material ConneXion, the world's premier materials resource specializing in the needs of designers and architects, presented its inaugural symposium. "Malfatto: Imperfect Design for a Better World?" at the Tishman Auditorium in New York City. This one-day event featured a lively and thought-provoking examination of the concept of 'malfatto,' an approach to design that advocates controlled experimentation while taking a conscious step away from the kind of slick, machine-perfected design favored in mass production.

The symposium began with a carefully researched introduction by moderator and New York Times columnist Phil Patton. After establishing the ways in which the 'malfatto' philosophy fits in with Western culture's appreciation of the rough-hewn and homemade, Patton introduced architect and industrial designer Gaetano Pesce, the man who coined the term 'malfatto.' With charisma and passion, Pesce demonstrated the need for unique, highly personalized objects in a time of cookie-cutter mass production. Pesce contrasted his philosophical ideal with more traditional forms of production, along with modernism and provokingly, fascism. He demanded a restructuring of our approach to design that did not shy away from representing the identity of the individual designer.

Pesce was followed by a number of other speakers offering their perspectives on his philosophy and its significance to lifestyle, trends, global economics and big business. Renegade toy-maker Kardash Onnig offered an engaging talk on his simple, do-it-yourself approach to life and work. Onnig, an Armenian immigrant, left the corporate world to dedicate himself to the investigation and development of a three-dimensional alphabet that extends beyond natural alphabets. He discussed his approach to toy-creation and the ways in which he places a great deal of value on personal involvement in manufacture.

International trend-forecaster Li Edelkoort outlined the similarities between the native design traditions of Scandinavia and Africa and examined the influence of folk traditions on our contemporary design alphabet. Edelkoort, founder of the Edelkoort Group, an organization that provides trend analysis and consulting services to major international companies, went on to present her vision of design's future; relating the 'malfatto' influence to a world where the handmade and industrial can exist simultaneously. Similar to the other speakers, Edelkoort touched upon the idea that developing nations could produce saleable 'malfatto' products that could serve as a profitable alternative to mass production.

John Thackera, Director of Doors of Perception, a design-futures network with offices in Amsterdam and Bangalore, examined how the manufacture of 'malfatto' objects might be set up in the world of small-business. Referencing several successful small businesses in Western Europe and developing countries in Asia, Thackera stressed that small businesses provide significant economic rewards as well as offer environmental and social benefits unmatched by companies that advocate mass production. He further examined the ways in which design decisions influence the world we live in and the positive influence Pesce's philosophy could have in this realm.

Scott Henderson, Principal and Founder of Scott Henderson, Inc., offered his perspective on the possibility of achieving sensual, emotional, and ethical products that are made at a high-volume using state-of-the-art technology. The charm of Henderson's designs challenged 'malfatto''s assumption that mass production means a rejection of individuality and the humanistic aesthetic.

Steelcase Director of Design James Ludwig illustrated how corporations are perhaps best positioned to raise the environmental standards in mass production. He thoroughly examined the relationship between the 'perfect' and 'imperfect' by looking at the boundaries of fabrication and production. Ludwig went on to ask if the 'imperfect' can exist in any substantial way without the 'perfect' context-and if the does exist, does 'perfect' become the new 'imperfect'?

Karin Carter, a materials designer from Nike, who filled in for an ill Scott Wilson, the Global Creative Director for Nike Explorer Group, ended the afternoon section. Carter gave examples of Nike's efforts at helping the consumer create his or her own personalized object and discussed Nike's efforts to invent a better performance fabric. Carter, an award-winning designer also discussed the meaningful material solutions she is able to offer in her collaborations with world-renown Japanese and American fashion labels.

As the title of the symposium, "Malfatto: Imperfect Design for a Better World?" suggests, the event was created to contrast leading opinions and raise questions about the responsibilities of design to both the environment and the individual. By examining this current cultural phenomenon and delving into questions about why the world is being flooded with carbon copies of consumer icons, the symposium serves as a vital new platform for dissecting these ever-changing issues. "Malfatto" further serves to fill a void by creating an open dialogue on the relationship between cutting-edge technology and traditional manufacturing methods. Design celebrities in the audience of the symposium included Matilda McQuaid of Cooper-Hewitt, John Remington of Target, Carl Magnusson of Knoll, and architects David Rockwell and Jennifer Luce. Material ConneXion is currently discussing symposium sequels with three different countries.