Belgian Design: Generous Nature

Belgian Design: Generous Nature zooms in on the ability of design and designers to bring about profound changes in industrial production, by choosing sustainable systems which extend beyond the product as such. The idea behind this is a greater goal, transcending mere environmental awareness and encompassing politics, economics, norms, behaviour and social and human relations as the cornerstone of the design culture.

Three organisations (Flanders DC, MAD Brussels and WBDM) each developed a project with Belgian designers, in which the aspect of ‘sustainability’ was interpreted in different ways, namely on the social, economic and environmental level. The outcome of these three projects was presented during Milan Design Week 2019 under the Belgium is Designlabel. The presentation travelled to Design Museum Gent now.

Design Museum Gent is a partner of Maakbaar, a project that was established by BOS+ in collaboration with OVAM, Flanders DC, Design Museum Gent and AIDER Peru. The project wants to raise awareness in schools, companies, research centres and designers, about the sustainable and responsible use of forests and their ecosystems. Maakbaar focuses on the role of the design industry in the transition to a sustainable global society. Designers play a key role in this respect as the choices they make in terms of the origin and use of materials, re-use, production processes and energy consumption, waste or residual streams are instrumental.