By Jeanne Tan / 17-06-2010

For the exhibition 'In Progress' currently showing at Grand Hornu in Belgium, Studio Wieki Somers has created three still life sculptures entitled 'Consume or conserve?' that question the value of life and objects and our relationship with products. 

Inspired by 16th and 17th century still life vanitas paintings, each sculpture is composed of modern appliances combined with symbolic objects like fruit, flowers and insects that represent deeper meanings like pleasure, death and the transience of life. Each with a specific message, the sculptures are 3D printed using the latest digital technology. So what's all the fuss about then? Well, Somers proposes that the sculptures be made from human ash. In this way, our bodies could be reincarnated as products.

The project begins with bringing to light the ethics behind technological innovation. As technology develops at a rapid pace - often used as a benchmark upon which we measure society's progress - what happens to the ideological thinking behind it? As much as technology has made our lives easier in many ways, it has also caused damaging side effects.

One dilemma Somers wants to explore, is how technology has made it possible to greatly extend our life spans. "But what is an eternal life good for if we use it only to continue being mere consumers who strive for more and more products, regardless of the consequences?" she asks. It's about the meaninglessness of earthly life, as the theme vanities suggests and finding more meaningful ways of consumption.

For the exhibition ‘In Progress’, that challenged designers to rethink the notion of progress, the studio didn’t want to design a new product but instead provoke a (rather controversial) dialogue about products. "Our project is a statement that questions uncriticised innovation," Somers explains in her project statement. "We don’t want to discard the many benefits of technological innovation and it’s inherent mentality, the sheer energy and will to create. But progress shouldn’t be the goal itself. It questions the value of products and our relationship with them."

As in line with her previous work, Somers wants to create more intimate relationships between everyday objects and their users. In this new series, we see 'Birds and toaster' representing life and death, where a bird is literally toasted and reborn out of its own ashes, 'Dung beetle and vacuum cleaner' which pairs dung beetles that reuses waste - or what could be considered as waste by some - with a vacuum cleaner that 'eats' our waste, and 'The weight of a honeycomb' where the value of a honeycomb - symbolizing labour and diligence - and the single life of a bee is determined by being weighed on the scales.

In thinking about the relationship between objects and users, and uncriticised innovation, what if everyday products could be developed from our remains? In this respect, each still life IS a person. "As human ashes might be reused by means of rapid prototyping or 3D printing, we may afford grandpa a second life as a useful rocking chair or even as a vacuum cleaner, a toaster." Somers poses, "Would we become more attached to the vacuum cleaner, the toaster? Would our willingness increase to pay more for a product that is made of human tissue or human ashes?" Theoretically, human ashes could be a potential manufacturing material given that there is some 465 000 litres of the 'waste' available daily worldwide.
 
The project explores the symbolic meanings in materials that designers use, and how materials might serve to create greater emotional connection between products and their users. “In the enormous chaos and noise of goods, I would like to halt time and show beauty in a world that never stops. Our products can be called ‘metaphors of everyday life’, hopefully they appeal to our imagination and give us new insights."

In Progress
8 May until 12 September 2010
Grand Hornu
82, Rue Sainte-Louise, 7301 Hornu, Belgium
 

Add to favorites