The Re-genesis pavilion is imagined as an opening point for a dialogue about the future.
It addresses the current condition of our environments and their controversies in an attempt to create a more complete picture of how our actions influence the world.
We firmly believe that complete transparency is the most important aspect of creating a steady foundation for the laboratory of the future. Understanding the past and present in its full extent is the first step towards creating a more fair, sustainable environment for us all.
Since the dawn of time the world has been plagued by many evils, and even today we face war, pollution, terrorism, global warming and others. However, slavery is an evil many thought has been lifted off the shoulders of the world. Even though it has been opposed from a moral standpoint since as early as 3rd century BC, when the cosmopolitan views of the Stoics came to the conclusion that no man is a slave by nature, it is still present in the world today. Although illegal, slavery still holds its place in the supply chains of the 21st century, as it has since as far as time can tell. It has taken a new, global shape and a larger scale. Even continents can now benefit from the ruin of another. The distant nature of this injustice makes willful ignorance a choice many make.
“And what happens in Africa happens to us all.”
-Lesley Lokko
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Mine 01
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Mine 02
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Mine 03
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Mine 04
What happens in Africa happens for the more “developed” countries. Behind what the Western society commonly views as positives - green energy and economic growth, lies a continent devastated by our actions. The other side of progress and eternal growth is the fueling of destruction and suffering of “developing” countries.
Kongo Mines Aerial Shot
The most drastic example of human exploitation today is in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. This area has lacked sustained attention in the nexus of slavery and technological development due to its own ground riches which fuel the modern world as we know it. From its ground comes over half of the world supply of cobalt, an element used in the production of rechargeable batteries fueling our phones, laptops and many other gadgets, as well as electric vehicles. This insatiable demand driven by desire for cheap technology and higher profit for companies such as Apple, Google, Microsoft and Tesla, has fueled modern slavery and child labor in Congo, as well as devastated its nature, agriculture and traditional way of life.
The Re-Genesis pavilion
Visually exposes the contradictory nature between what is commonly viewed as progress and its consequences on remote regions of the world. Its outer shell represents the end product, the polished object reaching the consumer. These are contemporary objects most residents of developed nations own, such as phones, computers and cars. It is an image of technological progress. It is a mirage. In contrast to the outer shell lies the insides, the devastation, reminiscent of a cave. These two elements are inseparable, one and the same, both fueling one another. The floor and ceiling are representatives of the open pit mines which devour the landscape of Congo, in its search for blue gold.
Axonometric Representation
From the acknowledgement that so far progress and despair have come hand in hand, we can start to examine alternative ways of acting and living, collaborating not as a nation or continent, but as a planet for the creation of the laboratory of the future.
In terms of fabrication, the concept was to 3D print all parts for the 4 suggested pods (PETG print) . The pieces would be shipped to the site where we will assemble them manually. For the interior part of the mines, we would use spray Insulation Foam manually on site on each one of the 3d printed pieces. Acrylic instead of glass would be used for the openings sourced locally.
For the ceiling, floor and sitting spaces we will laser cut acrylic. The pieces can be sourced either from a local store in Venice or elsewhere in Europe and shipped on site to assemble.
