What: Electrical engineering, parametric design, manufacturing
Role: Funder, designer, manufacturer
During the design process of a new collection of clothing brand SOOPEXCLUSIVE, which reacts on the pollution of the environment, I created an artwork which supports this topic.
I made ‘Plastic Soup’ to show the contradiction I see between the alarming decline of the environment and the significant realization of the remaining beauty of it. Through a study in shape in relation to space with different prototypes, I chose to use a parametric design. This consists of multiple 2D layers with a consistent spacing between them that together form a 3D object. This symbolizes the versatility and the unity we need to achieve as mankind to tackle the environmental decline.
The shape of each layer differs slightly from the one before, which results in a dynamic, wave-like movement. The complexity of the problem is made visual by the shape that varies when the viewer changes his or her position. The viewer is invited to walk around the work to discover how every angle changes your own perception of the object and thus the subject. Walking around the piece makes it come alive, such like the sea it is meant to embody.
A final digital design was created that allowed for further design choices and production such as material use, construction and shape by prototyping. [Scroll down for more information]
Plastic Soup light installation for exhibition ‘Dorpsgek’ and SOOPEXCLUSIVE campaign (2019, Delft/The Hague)
To highlight the contradiction within the story, the artwork has two different states. In state one, the special UV lamp lights up and presents the sea as polluted and full of plastic. In state two, one can see its beauty and realness by the integrated natural phenomenon ‘Noctiluca’; algae that exhibit bioluminescence when disturbed. This causes the sea to glow even when the light, a metaphor for positive thinking, has been turned off.
The transparent layers are covered in tiny specks of a special mixture of luminescent material, each put on by hand. A coating on the fluorescent lamp activates light emitting pigments in the luminescent material creating a sea full of movement and beautiful life.
Creating the piece took about half a year in total, financed by the profits of my clothing brand. ‘Plastic Soup’ has been used as my main starting point for the latest clothing collection as well as exhibitions and clothing displays. I want people to be more aware of the tremendous impact the clothing industry has on the environment and I think my platform has been the perfect opportunity to show that and make a difference. A good example of this is the recent publication about ‘Plastic Soup’ in design magazine Turn the Page. This interview takes a closer look at the current situation of the polluted sea and the purpose of my art installation.
The final design is made from recycled plexiglass that represents the plastic soup literally. The transparent layers make sure the viewer is able to see through the whole construction, as if it is water.
The vision created for this artwork is referencing the pollution of the environment and helps to educate the collective conciousness of the necessary change. I preserved every piece of waste during the manufacturing process to eventually play a significant role in this artwork. Plastic and the sea: two worlds that sadly have been intertwined in real life, but should have remained separated.
However, in this execution during the Dorpsgek exhibition, the waste on the ground is separated from the sea with air and space in between. An important finding was the fact that even when the intentions in such works are good, there is still more waste than expected. Besides that, every object will eventually turn into waste itself. This aspect stresses the significance in design of having a purpose to exist.
The translation from digital design to physical artwork has been a very educational process for me. The manufacturing process of the artwork was quite complex because it consisted of many different elements that sometimes could only be realized with the help of third parties due to the size and specificity of the object. An ultraviolet lamp from Belgium and the associated electronic hardware from different parts of the world are a good example of this. In this project I gained a lot of experience in electronics and the manufacturing procecesses of lasercutting and metalwork. I worked also with new materials such as recycled plexiglass, different kinds of 3D printed plastics but also with new mixtures such as luminescent paint coatings.
In this project, which was created in my spare time, I had the opportunity to experience my idea from start to finish in the design process. By doing many iterations and with the help of experts and companies, I ended up in places and at disciplines that I could not have thought of beforehand. For me this was therefore a great experience to work as my own project leader to manufacture my own art installation with the help of a network consisting of different people and organizations. This shows that my strengths as a designer are that I am not afraid to show initiative and collaborate with people in unknown territory and that I can take a leading and connecting role in a design project.
