LONDON.- More than Human, the first major museum exhibition on more-than-human design, opens at the Design Museum this week, showcasing works by renowned artists and leading design changemakers to set a new direction for design based on humanity’s collaboration with the living world.

More than Human refers to a growing design movement that questions the human-centric lens that has defined Western design practice and embraces the idea that the flourishing of all species is interconnected. More-than-human design calls for focused attention on the needs of environments and the species they host. Designers, architects and artists are increasingly directing their work towards the needs of non-human species. Their approaches range from the sharing of ancient knowledge to the design of new habitats and, ultimately, the shifting of perspectives.

Highlights include major new commissions by four designers who were supported with research fellowships funded by Future Observatory. Alexandra Daisy Ginsberg’s vast new tapestry explores the perspectives of pollinators, while an 8m-long mural by MOTH (More Than Human Life Project) depicts the growing movement to award legal rights to waterways around the world. Brazilian architect Paulo Tavares has worked with Indigenous communities in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on the development of mapping techniques used in the struggle for land recognition, and Chinese spatial and visual designer Feifei Zhou has observed the fishing practices of local communities in Timor, Indonesia, revealing the porosity of multispecies exchange along coastal zones. Meanwhile, the designer Julia Lohmann has created a large-scale seaweed installation specifically for the exhibition, a group of five organic seaweed forms that seem to have met to discuss the state of the seas and human impacts upon them, entitled ‘Kelp Council’. The exhibition and new commissions are funded by the UKRI Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC).

There are more than 50 artists, architects and designers in the exhibition, including Ant Farm, Marcus Coates, Dunne & Raby, Forensic Architecture, Formafantasma, Andrés Jaque, Kate Orff/Scape, Solange Pessoa, Reef Design Lab, Diana Scherer and DnA_Design and Architecture to name a few, several of whom are presenting new work.

By bringing together over 140 works spanning contemporary and traditional practices, fine art, product design, architecture and interactive installations, the exhibition explores how humans can relearn to design with and for the natural world in the face of climate emergency.

More than Human is co-curated by Future Observatory Director Justin McGuirk and Future Observatory Head of Curatorial Programme Rebecca Lewin.

Tim Marlow, Director and CEO of the Design Museum says, “It’s important for museums and cultural institutions to respond to the complex issues facing our planet and society at present. It’s also important to shift perspectives from a human-centric view of the world to one closer to nature which will make this a landmark exhibition in every sense. More than Human will showcase some of the ground-breaking work that Future Observatory has done at the museum and beyond over the last three years, a blend of extensive sustainable research, critical thinking and advocacy which is central to our cultural programming.”

Justin McGuirk, Director of Future Observatory says, “This is not just another exhibition about ‘sustainable design’, this is a radical rethink of design’s role in the world. While much of the work in the exhibition is nascent or exploratory, it represents a fundamental shift in worldview toward humans using design not just for their own benefit but for the flourishing of the living systems we depend upon. More than Human is what design needs to become in the 21st century.”

Rebecca Lewin, Senior Curator at the Design Museum says, “We want people to leave the exhibition feeling inspired and informed but also hopeful for the future. The huge network of issues raised by the climate crisis can feel overwhelming, but the fields of design, art and architecture are finding creative and often beautiful solutions for the needs of the planet. It has been heartening to collaborate with such an incredible group of talented creative minds from across the globe to bring this project together.