Plastic:
Remaking Our World
6 minute read
The history of plastic, our societal relationship with it, and its global impact unfolds across many chapters. Due to plastic's omnipresence in our daily lives, we often overlook its dual nature – both a challenge and an opportunity.
To explore these complexities and offer new perspectives, Hyundai Motor Company, in partnership with the Vitra Design Museum in Weil am Rhein, Germany, has co-curated the exhibition, 'Plastic: Remaking Our World.' This unique exhibition takes place at the Hyundai Motorstudio Busan from August 28, 2024, to May 25, 2025.
The perils and possibilities of plastic
Plastic is everywhere, from outer space to the depths of the oceans. It shapes our daily lives and is perceived differently around the world—whether as a necessity, luxury, Innovation, or hazard. Given plastic's profound role in society, it is essential to understand its evolution over the past 150 years and the journey ahead for this fundamental synthetic material. Welcome to the 'Plastic: Remaking Our World' exhibition!
Plastic as the 'star of the show'
'Plastic: Remaking Our World' explores the rapid rise and extensive use of plastic, alongside the increasing awareness of its impact. The exhibition adopts a neutral stance, presenting various aspects of plastic to illustrate both its role in enabling significant innovations and lifestyles, and its contribution to widespread pollution and environmental harm. Divided into six sections, the exhibition guides viewers from the origins of plastic to its future. Each section includes installations that address the challenges of plastic production, its evolution, and various environmental projects and circular design approaches, encouraging reflection on the future of plastic.
'Kalpa' by Asif Khan
The exhibition’s first section features a film installation that delves into the relationship between plastic and nature from a fundamental geological perspective. The film guides viewers through the journey from the emergence of microscopic life in Earth's oceans to its transformation and later discovery as oil. The second part of the film documents the ubiquity of plastic products and waste, illustrating how they gradually contaminate the marine ecosystem as they break down into microplastics. Accompanied by Johann Strauss' 'The Blue Danube,' the film is titled 'Kalpa,' a Sanskrit term referring to a period in Hindu and Buddhist cosmology encompassing creation, destruction, and recreation.
Plastic’s rise and the realization
Upon leaving the exhibition film, visitors are introduced to the next three sections: Synthetica, Petromodernity, and Plasticene. Each section documents plastic’s evolution from a rare material to an essential component in manufacturing. Visitors will encounter early plastics that replaced natural materials in the 19th century, as well as iconic mass-produced plastics such as vinyl, polyethylene, acrylic, and nylon. While exploring the sections, visitors will see how perceptions of plastic have shifted from a 'wonder of technology' to a significant environmental pollutant. This transformation is conveyed through objects, documentation, and installations, illustrating the emergence of a new environmental consciousness.
Our partnership with Vitra Design Museum on this exhibition presents Hyundai Motor's commitment to sustainable mobility and the use of recycled materials. - Sungwon Jee, Global Chief Marketing Officer
Straight to circularity
In the final three sections—'Re-', ‘Hyundai Motor’s new eco-friendly materials,' and the 'Precious Plastic & P2H workshop'—visitors discover the often-hidden value of waste plastic and its potential as a resource. In the 'Re-' section, visitors can explore examples from designers, companies, and research initiatives focused on reusing plastics and other waste materials. Next, the ‘Hyundai Motor’s new eco-friendly materials' section highlights eco-friendly materials featured in the IONIQ lineup and discovers Hyundai Motor Company's commitment to a sustainable future. Whether it’s seats made from discarded plastic bottles and flaxseed oil-infused leather seats, visitors leave with a new sense of what a new car can be.
In the final section, 'Precious Plastic & P2H Workshop' introduces Hyundai Group's P2H process, that produces hydrogen energy from unrecyclable plastics. This process handles 120,000 tons of waste plastic annually, generating 23,000 tons of hydrogen. Additionally, the 'Precious Plastic' project, initiated by Dave Hakkens, shows visitors who offer practical guidance on constructing recycling machines to transform plastic waste into new DIY objects. At the information desk on the second floor, visitors can exchange three HDPE plastic bottle caps for a souvenir made with this machine.
A meaningful partnership
Hyundai Motor Company’s partnership with the Vitra Design Museum is another example of the value of coming together to address social and sustainability issues through art, engineering, and other cultural themes. The Hyundai Motorstudio Busan emphasizes the importance of creating sustainable 'Design to live by' and continuously strives to pursue its vision of 'Progress for Humanity'.
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