Events

Garden of Machines: technical and organic beings together at Het Nieuwe Instituut

In the context of the 34th World Expo opening in Milan on May 1st, Het Nieuwe Instituut addresses this phenomenon from different perspectives between April 26 and August 23. The exhibition Garden of Machines speculates on a new ecosystem in which technical and organic beings learn to live together.

American Pavilion at Expo 67 in Montreal © Della Charlton

The Machinery formed an important section of the earliest World Expo’s: it was the place where the newest forms of mechanization were presented to the public. Almost one-and-a-half centuries later, Het Nieuwe Instituut presents the speculative exhibition Garden of Machines, which offers a radical vision of the future.

Over time, the latest technology has decreased in size, and has sometimes even vanished from sight altogether with the advent of digital production. A stark contrast to the massive, imposing machines that characterised the industrial revolution. Rather than presenting an array of awe-inspiring machines, Garden of Machines stages the technological promise, with as underlying leitmotiv a new, optimistic story of progress for the twenty-first century.

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GLASS, the technology behind progress and experimentation in the World Expo

By the name of Innovation at the World Expo 1851 – now, Het Nieuwe Instituut’s exhibitions’ efforts focus on this single theme, trying to reveal through different approaches what makes Universal Exhibitions the perfect place for technological and formal experimentation, challenging scientists and designers alike.

El ultimo Grito. A Rematerialisation: Industries 2013. Borosilicate glass. Photo POI

In the context of the 34th World Expo opening in Milan this spring, Het Nieuwe Instituut is addressing this phenomenon from different perspectives, between April 26 and August 23, in three exhibitions: What is the Netherlands, GLASS and Garden of Machines. The recurring question in the programme is: under what conditions is innovation achieved, and what role do designers play within that process?

Under the name of Innovation at the World Expo 1851 – now, Het Nieuwe Instituut’s efforts focus on this single theme, trying to reveal through different approaches what makes Universal Exhibitions the perfect place for technological and formal experimentation, challenging scientists and designers alike.

(more…)