Design Matters

Toronto, Ontario

Presented by
Harbourfront Centre

Objects and methods of design that allow for reflection over the true meaning of functionality, durability and beauty.

Design Matters presents objects and methods of design and fabrication that soon may become part of our everyday lives. In a world facing major challenges, from the threat of climate change to adapt to an increasingly digitized society, most people will agree that we must start to produce and consume in new ways.

The exhibition will challenge our preconceptions of consumer goods, furniture, functions and services. Does our relationship to objects change if our interior fixtures are cultivated by us and can a cause of climate crisis transform into something beautiful and worth preserving? We still prefer fast consumption and mass production but what would happen if we truly decided to confront the challenges we see ahead of us? What does the transition from mass production to a more customized production for the masses mean and will such a change be driven by us, the consumers, or by the designers themselves?

The invited designers Caracara: Aleksi Vesaluoma and Aleksi Puustinen (Helsinki-based), Jenny Nordberg (Sweden), Jesper Eriksson (Sweden), and company: Aamu Song and Johan Olin (Finland), showcase works that allows for reflection over the true meaning of functionality, durability and beauty. It is design that not only presents concrete solutions to practical problems, but also ask questions about the times we live in and pave the way for new interactions with the world.

Presented in partnership with BILDMUSEET/UMEÅ UNIVERSITE.