Intra-action design
Unsettling design as relational practice of planetary inhabiting
In this hands-on workshop we will reflect on and act with one of the most precious materials on earth: sand. From the microscopic level — sand being a compound of rocks eroding, and shells and plants degrading—to the global level — geological rifts caused by the reallocation of whole islands — sand is a truly planetary medium.
After inspirational inputs, covering G. Deleuze, G. Simondon, T. Ingold and J. Bennett, the rest of the day is devoted to material encounters and collaborative research aimed at collecting visual and text-based propositions for a relational reading of design.
The participants are asked to bring a sand sample from their place of residence. Starting from mesmerising microscopic landscapes, we will further uncover the omnipresence of sand. Sand-based objects will act as conversation pieces which challenge the role of the designer and design practices that move beyond human-centredness and the hylomorphic model.
Workshop by Michaela Büsse at the Research Through Design (RTD) conference, held in Delft and Rotterdam from the 19th to the 22nd of March 2019.
