Matter Matters. Designing with the World

On 21 February, Matter Matters. Designing with the World will open at Disseny Hub Barcelona (DHub). This long-term exhibition, curated by the architect Olga Subirós, offers a profound reflection on the past, present and future of materials at a time when the extractivist and colonialist dynamics that have shaped the last 500 years of human history are showing clear signs of strain due to the increasing scarcity of raw materials. This reflection unfolds through a dialogue between pieces from the Museu del Disseny’s historical collections and works from the 21st century.

The exhibition questions the extractivist model that has pursued limitless growth, leading to the climate emergency and geopolitical conflicts over the control of raw materials, among other systemic crises. As well as offering a critical perspective on the past and present, the exhibition also takes an optimistic view of the future, with a shift towards a regenerative model that not only minimises damage, but actively contributes to the restoration of the planet. To this end, it presents a wide range of alternative approaches that propose new ways of designing with the world, taking into account their impact on both humans and non-humans.