REFLECTIONS

A BLUEPRINT FOR SUSTAINABILITY

The exhibition N*thing is Possible, initiated by hospitality brand Potato Head and co-curated by OMA / David Gianotten with Shinji Takagi, opened at the National Design Centre during Singapore Design Week. The three-month-long exhibition explores the potential of waste and uncovers new possibilities in achieving zero waste within hospitality through crossdisciplinary collaboration.

The core statement of N*thing is Possible is: zero waste and the experience of comfort and enjoyment are not mutually exclusive, and creative efforts across disciplines can transform materials at the ‘end’ of their lifecycles into a reservoir of resources.

The exhibition spanning 1,000m2 begins with photographs and videos that capture the overwhelming volume of refuse generated by our daily habits. At the main atrium, natural materials and waste – bamboo, timber, plastic, textile, glass, Styrofoam, cooking oil, oyster shells – form a landscape. Above, objects made with the landscape materials – designed by Potato Head’s collaborators – are on display. This Waste Landscape illuminates how refuse can be transformed into valuable and beautiful items through experimentation and knowledge sharing. A central piece of the exhibition is a circular installation made with discarded shutters. Photo Courtesy: OMA & Potato Head

FULANI CHAIR By The Urbanative: Mpho Vackier

Charred American red oak; water-based sealer

FUTURE HEIRLOOMS

Future Heirlooms, a design collaboration by South African cooperative Always Welcome and the American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC), is now open at Always Welcome Viewing Rooms in Sandton, Johannesburg.

For this project, a group of seven South African designers from three provinces across the country have created a series of works that not only look forward to the future of sustainable design, but also explores their own heritage and the story of South Africa’s rich design legacy. Created in American red oak, the seven pieces - by Dokter and Misses, MashT Design Studio, The Urbanative, Kumsuka, Kalki Ceramics, Joe Paine in partnership with Nathan Gates, and Nøde Studio - are a celebration of material and memory, and ask pertinent questions about our approach to the environment.

UKHAMBA TABLE By Kumsuka: Siyanda Mazibuko

Charred American red oak; ebony slow stain; water-based sealer

FAMILY PORTRAIT By Dokter and Misses: Adriaan Hugo and Katy Taplin

American red oak, oil paint

DIVISIØN By NØDE: Charles Haupt & Gerrit Giebel

Fumed American red oak; water-based sealer