Tools of Rekindling
CATEGORY: Curation, Exhibition design
DATE: 10/24
PHOTOGRAPHY: Gigi Totaro︎︎︎
Curated by Emmie Massias and Elena Genesio︎︎︎ at De Fabriek Eindhoven︎︎︎ as part of Dutch Design Week 2024︎︎︎
Supported by Snelgeld Cultuurfonds Eindhoven.
“Tools of Rekindling”︎︎︎ centres on the act of harvesting, redefined not only as a method of extraction but as a form of activism that reshapes our relationship with local environments.
Curated by Elena Genesio and Emmie Massias, the exhibition delves into the ethical dilemmas surrounding the mining of natural resources, blurred practices of land management, and the shifting value of raw materials in globalised economies.
Through a series of objects and installations by Studio Eidola︎︎︎, Elena Genesio︎︎︎ and Emmie Massias, Benedetta Pompili︎︎︎, Studio ThusThat︎︎︎, and Maja Wachowska︎︎︎, the exhibition unfolds how designers engage with both natural and repurposed materials at the intersection of humanity and territory.
Whether by exploring local craftsmanship, industry by-products, or critical reflections on extraction and depletion, the works reveal how soil, often overlooked yet foundational to our communities, brings to light complex socio-political shifts and environmental challenges—from soil contamination to drought, desertification, and waste management.
Within the exhibition, each project emphasises a distinct raw material and extraction process, carrying a set of environmental and cultural narratives tied to a locality. Together, the pieces encourage us to reconsider landscapes as ever-evolving ecosystems influenced by the complexity of geo-political dynamics.
Ultimately, “Tools of Rekindling” invites us to envision a future where our relationship with soil is not defined by exploitation but by collective engagement, resilience, and the fostering of regenerative material cycles in post-industrial economies.