Design as a way to achieve change. Jan Boelen at Ciam Museum for Universo Assisi 2019.

During the third edition of the festival Universo Assisi, last 26th of July, Jan Boelen was protagonist of an event which took place within the Ciam Museum, a space open to connections and to those who see innovation as energy for the future. The Belgian designer and curator Jan Boelen is the Art Director of Z33 House for Contemporary Art in Hasselt, Belgium, Art Director of Atelier LUMA, an experimental laboratory for design in Arles, France, and Curator of the 4th Istanbul Design Biennial. He is also the supervisor of the Master Department of Social Design at Design Academy Eindhoven.

During his speech “Design as a tool for transition”, Boelen presented in the spaces of Ciam Museum his project on bio plastics, created in collaboration with atelier Luma. The project was introduced from the wish to show how bioplastics created from algae could replace traditional plastics.

“Designers should stop using recycled plastic and instead use bioplastics made from natural materials such as algae if they want to reduce pollution”. J. B.

A real and concrete glance at a future that does not give up on environmental protection and which is part of the fascinating debate that the recently ended edition of Universo Assisi gave birth to.