Teh Centre Pompidou dedicates its first “prospective retrospective” to the work of the industrial designer Ross Lovegrove who defends a global vision of design, finding inspiration in the evolutionary process of nature. The exhibition takes a look at this quest for a new paradigm for creation where art, design, technology, and nature converge.
"The idea of ‘convergence’ is important because it brings arts and sciences together. It is a global way to imagine what must play an essential role in the second ‘Rennaisance’ of the 21st century we are going through, that will lead to tangible principles of creation that will concern all of us, everywhere in the world" he explains.
For Ross Lovegrove, the designer is the interpreter or the ‘sculptor’ of technologies. His objects with dynamic forms that convey virtual movement carry out the digital mutation of the contemporary world, open to new ways of life marked by a ‘sustainable’ conscience of the world where forms are in harmony with nature. The designer is inspired by the principles of natural forms when conceiving complex structures employing innovative materials with a lightness of form and use. A minimal use of energy and biomimicry are at the heart of his research.
Ross Lovegrove’s intelligence with which he uses materials and the application of industrial processes are unique. From the design of objects for our daily lives to cars, from aviation to architecture, the designer developed the concept of DNA (Design, Nature, Art), establishing a strong connection among digital technologies, the science of materials, and organic forms. The organic, ‘holy’, forms of Henry Moore, the paintings of Francis Bacon, the kinetic sculptures of Tony Cragg are as much an essential source of inspiration as is the observation of nature.
Ross Lovegrove is one of the rare designers to place biology, anthropology, physics, and ecology in the center of his productions and defend a humanistic vision of design at the heart of a holistic approach to creation. According to him, “The notion of convergence refers to a time where the fusion of everything will translate to profound change in the way we conceive and manufacture the physical world around us.”
"Design is a domain in constant evolution. Because he transforms natural resources into useful objects, the designer is at the heart of current ecological concerns that don’t only affect our own emotional and aesthetic state, but also the our collective conscience just as the human race, in quick and constant evolution, must always adapt." Ross Lovegrove
Curators: Marie-Ange Brayer / Olivier Zeitoun, Mnam/Cci-Centre Pompidou.
This exhibition is supported by
Exhibition Major Partner Centre Pompidou Major Sponsor
