SPACE10 Hosts a 14 Day Design Festival in Mexico City to Explore “Beyond Human-Centered Design”

SPACE10 Hosts a 14 Day Design Festival in Mexico City to Explore “Beyond Human-Centered Design”

SPACE10, IKEA’s independent research and design lab, introduces the first look at its two-week design program in Mexico City. Held in the exhibition space, LOOT, the pop-up explores the theme ‘Beyond Human-Centered Design’ to rethink design that embraces both people and the planet. Featuring over 45 speakers, the pop-up includes daily panels and keynotes, exhibitions, multiple workshops, a live radio show, and immersive food and drink experiences. Taking place from 26 March-9 April 2022, the program promises a comprehensive and jubilant exploration of how design and technology can be a powerful force to reimagine and create a better everyday life.

‘For decades now, designers have been taught to put the individual needs at the centre of their work, but design that is good only for a group of individuals, without considering the well-being of our planet and society as a whole, has gotten us into trouble. We are in the middle of an accelerating climate crisis, while longstanding injustices are still unsolved. Through the lens of design, we believe it’s possible to address complex challenges, and by bringing people together, explore new and better ways forward.’
— Simon Caspersen, Co-founder, SPACE10

Teaming up with Mexico City-based architecture and design curator Mario Ballesteros, SPACE10’s program includes both local and international thought leaders, technologists, universities, and creatives, such as What Design Can Do, Iberoamericana University, Oficina de Resiliencia Urbana, Fernando Laposse, Seetal Solanki, and Edwina Portocarrero. Together with SPACE10, multi-disciplinary creative studio Niños Heroes transforms the design and layout of LOOT. An installation by Tezontle has been specially commissioned for the space.
SPACE10’s collective Copenhagen office will be in Mexico City to partake in the daily panels as well as engage in dedicated research assignments. Projects include a two-day design and technology hackathon, on-ground research in Latin America surrounding the essentials for a better everyday life, and a residency in Mexico City exploring the use of local biomaterials.

Panels
Daily panels and keynotes will be held at LOOT with a new line-up of speakers each day. A sampling of talks include:
On 28 March, the panels kick off with Thinking Beyond Human-Centered Design, an all-encompassing conversation that sets the tone for the weeks to come. SPACE10 explores the role of the designer and how collaboration can address today’s complex challenges. Joining the opening night will be Edwina Portocarrero, Gabo Calvillo, Mariana Balderas, and Jorge Camacho.
What Design Can Do curates Tomorrow’s Cultural Policies, a lively town hall-style meeting where prominent members of the creative community and decision-makers from the Mexican government engage in dialogue over a few beers.
José de la O and SPACE10’s Georgina McDonald will discuss how advanced technologies can enable sustainability and regeneration in the panel, Tomorrow’s Technologies: Everyday Experiments.
Shining light on how to design and build better cities, Tomorrow’s Neighbourhoods brings together architects, city planners, and curators including ORU Mexico and Mario Ballesteros.
colectivo amasijo joins a conversation surrounding Regenerative Food Futures to investigate how production systems can ensure affordable, accessible, and healthy food for the many, before hosting a vibrant and experiential dinner.
For guests looking for a full day of immersive conversations, Saturday 2 April promises a packed schedule as speakers take the stage for Imagining a New Design Paradigm. The afternoon addresses whether traditional design methods can solve the problems we face today, or whether it’s time for an entirely new era of design thinking. The inspiring line-up includes Mariam Bujalil from Iberoamericana, Nanette Weisdal from IKEA, and Kara Pecknold from frog.
Exhibitions
Carlos Matos and Lucas Cantú, founders of Tezontle, will create a series of Totems that will unfold throughout the space.
31 March-2 April: Matteo Loglio and Simone Rebaudengo, co-founders of oio studio, join SPACE10’s Everyday Experiments, an ongoing experimental platform in partnership with IKEA surrounding how tomorrow’s technologies can enable a better everyday life. Their experiment is brought to life at LOOT to show how technology can create a new sense of intelligence in everyday objects.
8-9 April: Tomorrow’s Materials: Following a six-week residency investigating local biomaterials in Mexico together with SPACE10 and material translator Seetal Solanki from Ma-tt-er, the residents will unfold their work in an exhibition that imagines the materials of tomorrow.

Workshops & Hackathon
Three workshops will allow people to enjoy a more hands-on approach with dedicated programs alongside members of the SPACE10 team. Guests can sign up now at www.space10.com.
Life at Home 2030 Hackathon aims to develop multiple perspectives on how tomorrow’s technologies can reconcile the needs of the many people with the needs of our planet. We want to explore what is important to the people of Mexico City regarding future technologies, potential applications of these technologies in the home, and possible adoption behaviours on individual and community levels. Applications are now open.
Everython Latinoamérica is a half-day workshop inviting in an interdisciplinary group of participants coming from fields such as design, art, journalism, tech and social innovation. The workshop will practise futures thinking and use the power of collective imagination to envision everyday life in the 2050s and our relationship with technology.
Tomorrow’s Materials: Join artist Edith Medina for an introduction to biomaterials, ecology and local waste.

Food & Drink
Guests are warmly welcome to hang out in the space, with food available by Salut by LOOT. Offering an assortment of coffees, snacks, wine and food, guests can take a seat at the cafe or enjoy a spot on the patio. With a buzzing atmosphere, the pop-up is designed to foster community, and all are encouraged to come by and say hello to the team and collaborators.

SPACE10 Radio
SPACE10 will host a daily radio show at LOOT inviting the program’s speakers, thought leaders, and artists to engage in further conversation following the physical sessions. The radio show will serve as a connector to the daily events unfolding in the space, allowing a global audience to tune in for live updates from Mexico City.

Over the years, SPACE10 has popped up in cities including New York, London, Shanghai, Nairobi, and most recently Delhi. The Mexico City Pop-Up will be open from 26 March 2022 until 9 April 2022, with daily programming at LOOT, located at Guanajuato 227, Roma Nte.


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