Park Associati presents Micrographia – Redesign for Biodiversity, a set of three experimental works conceived by multidisciplinary design studio Johanna Seelemann, designed and developed in collaboration with Ricehouse, Arche3d, Primat and with the scientific support of Vivaio Bicocca.
The installation, which can be visited at the Park Hub space from 16th to 21st April 2024, during Milan Design Week, focuses on the redesign of façade coverings, ancient irrigation systems and bollards. This work expresses the designer’s need to explore a revised, non-anthropocentric definition of inclusive design, evoking an environment accessible to as many forms of life as possible.
The title of the exhibition Micrographia derives from Robert Hooke’s book of the same name, which became historically significant for being the first publication to include illustrations of insects and plants seen through a microscope. The term serves as a metaphor to suggest a more expansive and in-depth approach to the design of products and a living environment that can be accessible to even the least obvious inhabitants of the city.
At the entrance to the Park Hub exhibition space, seed bombs reminiscent of Enzo Mari’s bollards – made in collaboration with Primat – contain native Milanese plant species commonly found in our area, useful for pollinators. Special thanks go to Gustavo Gandini, who shared his professional knowledge of biodiversity in the city of Milan with the studio.
The façade elements – created in collaboration with Ricehouse and Arche3d – also become habitable places for birds and insects thanks to the holes and cavities designed with researchers from the Vivaio Bicocca for specific types of pollinators and birds.
The pots are an oasis for urban plants: the light-coloured ones – inspired by an ancient low-tech method used for irrigation – can be filled with water and buried; the darker version, on the other hand, can function as a typical pot.
With the aim of formulating optimistic suggestions and alternative scenarios for the future, the designer conceived these three experimental works that can be used in different ways by various species at the same time, merging the aesthetics of industrial products with mineral-based materials.
For more information visit www.parkassociati.com.
