State of Extremes

Design Museum Holon's 10th anniversary Exhibition, "State of Extremes", came to examine the mechanisms that drive the movements of extremism that have plagued the world and shine a light at the role of design as a mediator, opponent, and partner. The exhibition featured dozens of works by designers, scientists, researchers, and artists from Israel and abroad who chose to respond to the new scenarios, try to change environmental conditions, introduce new models of citizenship, social structures and offer an alternative to a different distribution of resources.
As part of the exhibition and under the joint mission of the Design Museum Holon and the Aharon Feiner Eden Materials Library, Extreme Lab category which I was leading, examined the same ideas through the perspective of materials, technology, and design research. This part of the exhibition presented innovative material and technological work as a key for finding solutions and alternatives to current challenges. It also highlighted the need and demand for collaboration between professionals from different fields to establish worthy solutions to global challenges, as most of the projects were made by multidisciplinary teams.
Starting from graduate-projects through start-ups and young companies, Extreme Lab category created a thought-provoking exploration, not only for design enthusiasts. For example, grown structural system made of fungi, revolutionary new materials made from waste or others that are easily degradable, highly efficient data storage using DNA, vases with human cells that provoke social debate, a youth project to grow Spirulina as a solution to the famine in underprivileged communities, and more.