Het Nieuwe Instituut becomes the world’s first Zoöp – a revolutionary organisational model in which people work together with all other forms of lifeHet Nieuwe Instituut becomes the world’s first Zoöp – a revolutionary organisational model in which people work together with all other forms of life

The official launch of these and other initiatives takes place at A More-than-Human Night at the Museum on 22 April, in honour of Earth Day

How can we design, build and produce sustainably? How do we find new ways to deal with waste and water? And how can we accelerate the energy transition? Since its foundation, Het Nieuwe Instituut has been asking critical questions about the impact of human culture on our fragile ecosystem. An alternative to the current industrial design model is needed now more than ever. In the spring of 2022, under the title More than Human, Het Nieuwe Instituut launches a range of projects that explore diverse, 'multivocal' world views in which people, animals and nature can live together in harmony, now and in the future.

On international Earth Day, Friday 22 April, Het Nieuwe Instituut will become the world's first Zoöperative: a unique form of organisation that takes the 'voices' and interests of non-human life into account in its decisions. At the same time, The New Garden opens, as does In Search of the Pluriverse: an exhibition that examines how design can contribute to a multivocal world.

'Zoöp' is the abbreviation of 'Zoöperative'. This is a combination of the words cooperative and zooè, the Greek word for life. Simply put, a Zoöp is a collaboration between all of life: from humans to animals to plants, algae and microbes. In practice, with this new organisational form, Het Nieuwe Instituut is adding a representative of non-human life to the organisation as advisor and board observer. This Speaker for the Living has authority over operational matters that affect the quality of non-human life at the institute. The speaker ensures that concrete changes are made to improve the socio-environmental interests of the institute. For example, how would the colour of a temporary installation on the roof of Het Nieuwe Instituut affect the birds in the area? And how do we actually involve other-than-human life such as fungi, plants and animals in design issues?

The new Speaker for the Living of the Zoöp of Het Nieuwe Instituut is nature-inclusive landscape architect Maike van Stiphout. In her designs, biodiversity, anchoring and innovation are the most important elements and this forward-looking vision makes Maike van Stiphout a highly suitable candidate to fill this brand-new position.

At the same time as the launch of the Zoöp, The New Garden will reopen after extensive winter work. With this fresh start, the biodiverse outdoor space around the institute begins a new period of growth. It will soon function as an ecological city garden where the public can enjoy a discovery tour, and also a relaxed picnic or the take-out menu of Het Nieuwe Café on the grass. Finally, the Zoöp model also forms the starting point of the official Dutch entry for the Milan Triennale, presented by Het Nieuwe Instituut and open between 15 July and 11 December 2022.

In addition to the launch of the Zoöp, Het Nieuwe Instituut is giving substance to a multivocal world view with other projects. Central to this is the exhibition In Search of the Pluriverse, which is open from 22 April to 7 August 2022 in Het Nieuwe Instituut. This exhibition, curated by Sophie Krier and Erik Wong, takes the visitor on a journey through the 'pluriverse': a world that makes room for many worlds. Can people, animals and nature together shape a future that actually has a future? The exhibition highlights the influence of design, in the broadest sense of the word, on the successful coexistence of all life on Earth. This goes further than sketching a picture of ecological renewal: the exhibition also portrays the consequences of a multivocal world on a social and political level.
The extensive exhibition presents the work of designers, artists, activists and researchers from around the world and showcases an enormous wealth of projects, objects, video and audio productions and installations. With contributions from artist, weaver and cook Asli Hatipoğlu, artist and photographer Joke Robaard, Anne van Leeuwen from Bodemzicht farm, aerial wizard Ariel Bustamante in collaboration with ecosensual curator Camila Marambio and la C.A.R. (Cellule d'Actions Rituelles). The exhibition's spatial design is by Sean Leonard and the graphic identity is by Miquel Hervás Gomez. Nina van Hartskamp provided audio pieces featuring all the makers.

With the above-mentioned projects, Het Nieuwe Instituut wants to take concrete steps towards a climate-neutral future, involving all layers of the institute, from building to programming and from Het Nieuwe Café to Museum Park and further afield. Greening the rooftops, generating solar energy and making exhibition practices more sustainable are part of this ecological vision. Research and programming are often precursors to testing possible sustainable strategies. The Zoöp model has also been developed on the basis of this line of thought, and cooperation with non-human life will soon be put into practice.