Objective: Earth

Has our planet become an object of design? In the face of geoengineering, cloud seeding, and ambitious plans to control the planet’s ecosystems, the question seems justified.

Designed alongside the exhibition as a free item, this book traces the gradual objectification of the Earth and critically examines its effects on our planet. It opens with a glossary of 20 key concepts in techno-scientific thinking, before inviting socially committed artists and designers to explore their approaches in greater depth in their texts. Although they use technology, they take a critical look at the systemic disruptions we are facing. Finally, 3 essays by researchers provide a multidisciplinary perspective: technology historian Sabine Holler frames this position in a recent, yet noteworthy history of the concept of “Spaceship Earth”, while design curator Scott Longfellow considers it within the context of total design, and philosopher Frédéric Neyrat invites readers to become aware of that which cannot be apprehended and in doing so, scours the depths of the earth.