Plastic: Remaking Our World

The exhibition “Plastic: Remaking Our World” at the Vitra Design Museum examines the history and future of this controversial material: from its meteoric rise in the twentieth century to its environmental impact and to cutting-edge solutions for a more sustainable use of plastic. Exhibits include rarities from the dawn of the plastic age and objects of the pop era as well as numerous contemporary designs and projects ranging from efforts to clean up rivers and oceans to smart concepts for waste reduction and recycling through to bioplastics made from algae and mycelium.

The exhibition begins with a large-scale video installation spotlighting the conflicts linked to the production and use of plastic. The second part of the exhibition describes the evolution and the shifting perceptions of plastics from their beginnings in the mid-nineteenth century to their global omnipresence today.

Plastics have shaped our daily lives like no other material: from packaging to footwear, from household goods to furniture, from automobiles to architecture. A symbol of carefree consumerism and revolutionary innovation, plastics have spurred the imagination of designers and architects for decades. Today, the dramatic consequences of the plastic boom have become obvious and plastics have lost their utopian appeal.

The art show tries to answer to the questions: How can we overcome the global plastic waste crisis? And what role can design – alongside industry, consumers, and politics – play in the process?

An exhibition satellite in the Vitra Design Museum Gallery focuses on recycling and offers an interactive space where visitors can learn about different types of plastic and recycling systems.