30 June 2017

'Pure Gold. Upcycled! Upgraded!' exhibition at MKG Hamburg explores the esthetics of recycling & design

One of the core questions of the upcoming 'Pure Gold. Upcycled! Upgraded!' exhibition at MKG Hamburg (15 September - 21 January 2018) concerns the value of recycled material. Are materials of used products upcycled by designers perceived as new raw material like 'Pure Gold'? MKG Hamburg presents around 40 works from Europe and ca. 35 from non-European regions like Brazil, China, or Zimbabwe for the exploration of cultural foundations and practices of recycling. The exhibition is accompanied by a virtual space for dialogue and workshops.

At the preview images of 'Pure Gold', furniture like the 'Flip Flop' table display by Rotterdam (Netherlands)-based Diederik Schneemann are on view. The upcycling designer used worn out flip-flops which traveled over the ocean and landed on the coast of Eastern Africa. In an interview with Dezeen (video below), Diederik Schneemann reported that the shoes came from Asia or Africa and were collected at beaches in Kenya. The object's wheels are signature for the 'Flip-Flop Story' collection; the wheels visualize the flip flops' story of wandering, moving, traveling.

fig.: 'Flip Flop' table display (from the 'Flip-Flop Story' collection), 2011, recycled flip-flops, H 25 x B 30 x T 30 cm. Photo: Martin, Minkenberg, Copyright: Diederik Schneemann.

Interview: a Flip Flop Story by Diederik Schneemann from Dezeen on Vimeo.

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