PLASTICPLASTIC

Initiated by the sectors Design Textile & Matière and Design Objet of the École nationale supérieure des Arts Décoratifs (Paris, France), this edition of the cycle "façonner l'avenir" (forging the future) looked at how the fields of design and science can work together towards an ecologically minded urbanity. Alternating thinkers and actors from the realms of science, economics, politics, culture and creativity, the cycle unfolds in two main chapters.

Firstly, what do we understand by 'an ecological practice'? What are its mental, social, ethical, economical and political operating modes, and conditions? Which urgent issues must it address today to be able to act meaningfully tomorrow?

Secondly, which current research projects, conducted in the arts, design, or sciences, have the potential to re­imagine an ecology that is in line with urban dynamics? What kinds of know-how do these projects contain? And how to let these different types of know-how build on one another in a constructive manner?

In this context, Tal Erez came to Paris to present the exhibition Plastic: Promises of a Home-made Future on March 11, 2015. Of particular interest to the Master students of École des Arts Déco was Tal's Erez's research methodology, which encompasses both the production of objects and text, and is thus situated between theory and praxis. In his rich lecture, Tal introduced the current battlefield of 3D printing using lively visuals from his research on plastic and from the docubition (exhibition as documentary). Tal's main point came across loud and clear: " In any industry in the making, market forces push for capitalisation, as social forces push for democratisation. Somewhere in between the future of of a material and production technique resides."