Exhibit tackles role of design in cutting waste, protecting planet

Israel's Design Museum in Holon opened a new exhibition on circular living and responsible design, featuring a 3D-printed earth brick orchard, a biodegradable dress, and a tiny car that shrinks to a quarter of a parking space. Co-curators said the exhibition aims to address climate anxiety and design failure in waste.

Israel's only design museum, located in central Holon, has opened a new exhibition titled 'The Circle' that focuses on circular living and responsible design. The exhibition aims to inspire visitors to rethink consumption and waste, taking cues from nature where resources are continuously reused and regenerated. Co-curator Lior Hermoni stated that designers can no longer focus solely on appearance and function, calling design that becomes waste a failure. Co-curator Talia Janover noted that the climate crisis creates anxiety and paralysis, and the exhibition seeks to offer solutions. The exhibition took two and a half years to produce with around 100 professionals from different disciplines. Many overseas designers initially wanted to participate but were discouraged by colleagues from any contact with Israel, which focused efforts on developing new Israeli exhibits. Highlights include a 3D-printed earth brick orchard, a biodegradable dress made from wheatgrass, a tiny Israeli-made car that can shrink to a quarter of a conventional parking space, and a smartphone that users can easily upgrade. The article also includes a direct appeal for reader financial support to sustain the outlet's multimedia journalism.