“MATERIAL II” at Venice Design Biennale June 11-18, 2023

“Material II: Shifting Ground” is the third in a series of exhibitions focused on materials, shedding light on how materials are developed and created in Estonian universities, enterprises and creative practices today. The exhibition is curated by Stuudio aine in cooperation with Estonian Association of Designers and Estonian Academy of Arts and brings together the work of 26 artists, designers and researchers to show how the notion of resources and material development is undergoing changes due to the environmental crisis. Divided into three categories – Baltic Sea, Shifting Ground and Underwood – the works on display are invitations to a discussion around the changes in our habitat and the kinds of materials and material systems that we envision for the future.

In a world of abundance, understanding the origin of things becomes increasingly difficult. The variety of existing materials is vast; we are exposed to thousands of different substances on a daily basis. One of the objectives of “Material II: Shifting Ground” is not only to present materials in an exhibition setting but also to introduce their origin, ingredients and manufacturing technologies. The featured authors explore, across disciplines, what the future of materials could be: how regenerative design methods can add value to waste materials, what can we learn from local heritage technologies and which functional materials can be made on nanoscale.

Senior researcher Reet Aus, Kärt Ojavee and Juss Heinsalu of the Laboratory of Sustainable Design and Materials will give lectures. The textile repair workshop is conducted by Marta Konovalov and Riina Õun teaches how to make bioplastics. A video showing how Reet Ausi’s industrially upcycled product is made in the Beximco factory in Bangladesh is also shown.

SCHEDULE 

11.06 15:00 Opening of the exhibition Private view

  17:00 Workshop: Textile repair – Marta Konovalov

12.06 16:00 Design Talks – Reet Aus; Kärt Ojavee, Juss Heinsalu

17.06 13:00 Workshop – Bioplastics – Riina Õun

PARTICIPANTS

Reet Aus, Airi Gailit, Erik Heiki Veelmaa, Juss Heinsalu, Geidi Hein, Annika Kaldoja, Astri Kaljus, Katrin Kabun, Madis Kaasik, Siim Karro, Katarina Kruus, Karl Kukk, Marta Konovalov, Karolin Kärm, Merlin Meremaa, Juulia Aleksandra Mikson, Erki Nagla, Kärt Ojavee, Cärol Ott, Riina Õun, Maria Kristiin Peterson, Sander Õun /Suckõrs, Tiia Plamus, Sirje Sasi, Indrė Spitrytė, Oksana Teder, Marie Vihmar, Ines-Issa Villido.

Curator — Stuudio Aine

Exhibition Design — Annika Kaldoja

Graphic Design —Mirjam Reili

Stuudio Aine (Annika Kaldoja, Kärt Ojavee and Marie Vihmar) is a materials design and development studio whose research and creative work focuses on environmentally sensitive materials, materials awareness and cross-domain networking. (www.studioaine.ee)

The exhibition project is supported by the Cultural Foundation and Erasmus+.

ART DEPOT BIRI  Venice Design Biennial

@ Cannaregio 5415, Venice 30121

11/06 – 18/06 2023

11:00-19:00