unplugged

unplugged

We are connected to electricity 24 hours, 365 days a year.
And just as nature rests in winter and humans during sleep, the exhibition is an impulse to reflection on how much energy we need to live.

Unplugged is an exhibition that raises awareness about the EEE (Electrical and Electronic Equipment sector). It explores the theme of finding solutions to the problems of the future. It stimulates imagination in the area of our relationship with electronic devices and gives hints on how to balance energy.

The curators and artists involved in the realization of the exhibition analyzed the above issues through scenarios of the future.

Artists

Dawid Fik, Dagna Latkowska, Milena Kuliszenko, Karolina Lewandowska, Katarzyna Nowak, Jagoda Rolbiecka, Michał Sietnicki, Olaf Stachurski, Nikola Staniszewska, Dominika Szymonek, Maj Witczak, Iza Żeromska, Oskar Zaranek.

Few notes from Philip's journal

6th of August 2040

I woke up. My alarm clock said hello to me. I don't need all my appliances to say hello to me. I'm still just as lonely.

26th of September 2040

I paid with my face for the first time today. The cashier thanked me by my name.

15th of December 2040

This is my last ""non-smart"" ink pen. The ink's running out. I think I'll have to stop keeping this journal. They don't need to know my thoughts. Everyone already knows too much.

Created by students of the Academy of Art in Szczecin: Dagna Latkowska i Maj Witczak

12th of September 2045

My dear Natalie,

Remember our annual summer trips? We drove there with my car. We thought that if we protected the planet, we would live on the seashore someday. They promised us a good life in harmony with nature. But instead, here I am, can't afford a car anymore, living alone in my tiny apartment, haven't been outside the city for God knows how long, and the only thing keeping me close to nature is the sound of waves crashing on beaches coming through my earbuds. Unfortunately, they use up a lot of my Carbon Allowance, so I can only enjoy five minutes of that experience today. How did it get so wrong? We had good intentions. The planet is healing, but are we happier?

Tom

PS. It feels good to write on paper again.

Created by students of the Academy of Art in Szczecin: Oskar Zaranek, Jagoda Rolbiecka

12th of June 2045

Hi Kate!

Like you, I use local goods, we are lucky to have this opportunity, right? Generally, I work in a renewable energy power plant. We have a lot of them here. And yet I still feel the artificiality in the air that you mentioned... Well... my life is good. You could say that I have everything, a modern eco-car, a cozy house, lots of greenery and the best new technology... but something is still bothering me... you mentioned "moving"? Right? Ahh... the idea of being a global citizen is so appealing. But... unfortunately, due to competition between countries, I have no chance. "Self-sufficiency" is the motto of the place where I live. But who knows. Maybe one day we will be able to meet in the perfect place.

Regards, Tom

Created by students of the Academy of Art in Szczecin: Karolina Lewandowska, Nikola Staniszewska

4 TH OF JANUARY 2030

Hi Kate,

Thank you for the advice you gave me two years ago. Escaping the city was my dream come true. Community life is wonderful. Recently my neighbor bought a welder from a second hand store. Together we repaired the water supply using metal garbage from an an abandoned hall. Today I have my first neighborhood patrol, I can't wait. We will meet in the evening and patrol the area to make it safer. This is a great initiative, I'm happy to get to know my community.

How are you?

XO XO

Dominique

CREATED BY STUDENTS OF THE ACADEMY OF ART IN SZCZECIN: KATARZYNA NOWAK, DOMINIKA SZYMONEK

4 TH OF JANUARY 2030

Hi Dominique,

I've been stuck in traffic for nearly 2 hours to be able to hunt dry chicken from a fast-food near my office. But at least I am full and I can write to you. The past week I'd worked morning through night, 24 hours, 7 days a week. I drank so many energy drinks that I think I should think about premium subscription. Finally, I got my new car with a hydrogen engine from the waiting list I put myself on two years ago. It is red. What a wonderful experience it is. I am finally helping save the planet, at least I think so. I don't feel quite as lonely corresponding with you.

How's your community life going?

Xo xo

Kate

CREATED BY STUDENTS OF THE ACADEMY OF ART IN SZCZECIN: KATARZYNA NOWAK, DOMINIKA SZYMONEK

Where is EEE?

RESEARCH EXHIBITION

In Slovenia, we have learned that the word 'design' means something completely different for each one of us.

We use the same words, but in reference to completely different worlds.

Thunderbolt on a dark background.
A highly detailed, three-dimensional medical illustration displays the human nervous system in a full-body view, rendered with glowing yellow nerves against a translucent blue body outline. The brain is prominently highlighted in red at the top, from which the central nervous system extends down the spine and branches out into the peripheral nervous system throughout the limbs. The illustration is set against a stark black background, emphasizing the intricate network of nerves.

for Us design mindset is about:

  • openness
  • curiosity
  • courage
  • determination
A worn DANGER High Voltage sign is centrally placed on a weathered, light blue vertical slatted surface. The sign features a yellow triangular symbol with a black lightning bolt and arrow pointing downwards, above a yellow rectangular panel with DANGER in black capitalized letters and High Voltage below it. The white background of the upper part of the sign is peeling and damaged.
A vibrant illustration captures a dramatic lightning bolt striking against a dark blue background that fades to black at the bottom. The central lightning strike is bright white with numerous intricate branches, creating a striking visual of an electrical discharge. A glowing blue light emanates from the top right, where the lightning appears to originate.

Every year around 1 mln 275 thousand visitors experience design and there are only few design festivals we visited.

time place visitors
JULYGdynia Design Days, Gdynia, Poland35 000
AUGUSTBiennale Architettura, Venice, Italy800 000
SEPTEMBERHolitopia, Berlin, Germany50
SEPTEMBERVienna Design Week, Vienna, Austria40 000
OCTOBERDutch Design Week, Eindhoven, Netherlands350 000
"The world is changing according the way people see it, and if you can alter it, even by a millimeter, the way people look at reality, then you can change it."

JAMES BALDWIN

BIENNALE ARCHITETTURA 2023, GIARDINI

Gdynia Design Days - Poland

Let's take a look at what comes out of our European field research.

  • this is the end of solo designer era,
  • there is no waste in nature, waste is invented,
  • sharing the same values is the basis for working together,
  • we need to ulearn the last 200 years of life

insight 1:

There is no innovation without sustainable design.

insight 2:

Instead of focusing on designing new products, we should turn our attention to design systems.

insight 3:

The most interesting conversations take place offstage, during coffee breaks or meals when we feel safe and relaxed.

insight 4:

What we are seeking is balance.

insight 5:

Senses of touch means danger in use of electrical and electronic devices

insight 6:

Energy is a hidden treasure.

A wide shot of a panel discussion at the dtb sustainability summit featuring three male panelists on a stage in front of a large screen. The screen displays panel discussion along with headshots and names of Peter van Assche [NL] and Paul Lequay [SE]. The panelists are seated on a sofa and armchairs, actively engaged in conversation, with an audience visible in the foreground. Gdynia Design Days: Henryk Stawicki with guestes, Business Sustainability Summit

Biennale Architettura - Venice, Italy

  • art disciplines merge into one, the boundary between design, art and architecture is blurred
  • interdisciplinary teams are becoming increasingly important, giving rise to many new roles
  • we need to discuss utopias because real projects and solutions are available on the Internet

Our role is to get new generation through the process of mourning, because healthy ME is healthy US - family, friends, communities cities, all humanities and nature itself.

DANIEL J. SIEGEL, PSYCHIATRIST

PRZEKRÓJ MAGAZINE NB 4, 2023

insight 7:

We are mourning on what we have lost.

insight 8:

Nature has its own voice. It becomes a partner in futures reality.

insight 9:

Energy comes from warmth of household space and human body.

insight 10:

Energy is a motion.

It is a part of a play, fun, interactions are invitations to make a movement and to start changing.

insight 11:

To notice EEE you need to walk backwards.

A person from behind is standing on a short, wooden staircase, looking at a large, intricate mural that covers a curved wall. The mural is a highly detailed, monochrome drawing depicting an urban or industrial landscape with numerous buildings, structures, and perhaps fantastical elements. Another similar staircase structure is partially visible to the right. Biennale Architettura: The Waterworks of Money by Studio Carjin Kingma

HOLITOPIA symbiotic politics - Germany

  • the contemporary role of a designer may mean to moderate the project, ask questions, and empathise with the needs of the audience

insight 12:

We often have different interpretations of the same definition due the disciplines we come from.

insight 13:

We can collaborate and co-create as long as we ensure that our definition means the same to us.

A diverse group of nine individuals is seated in a row on white benches, in what appears to be a presentation or discussion setting. In front of them, on the floor, are several pieces of wood and branches, arranged on yellow fabric. A large, blank projection screen dominates the background, with industrial-style lighting and scaffolding visible above. Holitopia: Madeleine Schwinge with invited guestes, Holitopia re:future Lab

Vienna Design Week - Austria

  • sustainable design means embracing complexity and chaos of today's world,
  • design is about collaboration among many species
  • industrial design is led by new technology, automation and manufacturing,
  • new approach is seed, a search of relations between nature, human and craft

insight 14:

Contemporary is electric (al).

insight 15:

Electronic device gave as time back.

insight 16:

Electric device feels pain.

insight 17:

Slow hot computer, it is too fast.

insight 18:

Two parallel worlds, new and reused design.

A person stands with their back to the viewer, facing a large glass display case filled with various historical artifacts and documents. The display case is well-lit and features a collection of items on multiple shelves, including an orange rotary phone, a red typewriter, and numerous small objects and papers, all presented in a museum or exhibition setting. Vienna: Design Lab, MAK - Museum of Applied Arts

Dutch Design Week, Netherlands

  • we need to focus on our local communities and grassroots work
  • we experience a surplus of choices, which sometimes leads us to choose nothing at all
  • there is return to local tradition and national heritage
  • social design: we want to engage with social fabrics

insight 19:

We are constructing devices of loneliness.

insight 20:

Sense of touch revels its energy in designers craft.

insight 21:

Electricity means creating systems of social co-operation.

An art installation features a large, glowing orange light bulb-shaped neon sculpture mounted on a tiled wall. Below it, a vertical wooden signboard provides information about the piece, titled Light makes you see colour. The wall is composed of beige square tiles, and windows with white grilles are visible on either side of the installation. Dutch Design Week: Bulla by Studio Thier & van Daalen

Why are we saying all this?

To make you aware of the very important role you play by possessing knowledge about EEE.

To encourage you to share this knowledge.

To encourage you to be open on working with people outside your field.

Through collaboration with designers and artists we can fill the empty space on the walls that more than million people could see over the past year.

"Climate change is sometimes misunderstood as being about changes in the weather. In reality, it is about changes in our very way of life."

PAUL POLMAN

BIENNALE ARCHITETTURA 2023, GIARDINI

be
here
now

Be Here Now is a game that activates all sensory channels.

Through movement, mindfulness, and being with people, it leads to mind purification and reduces stimulation.

The designed interactions are very simple, but rarely anyone can do them. They help you be here and now, allow for analog recharge.

Is it possible to design a state of mind?

Is it possible to design a better wellbeing?

This is what players will be able to feel by checking their condition before and after the game.

A person holds an open white booklet with both hands, angled slightly to the left. The booklet's pages face upwards, with the right page slightly obscured by shadow. On the left page, there are minimalist, hand-drawn illustrations of eyes and eyelids with arrows indicating direction, all in light colors. The background is a dark, out-of-focus space, suggesting a dimly lit room with a spotlight on the booklet.

It's a game designed for being present, consisting of 30 cards with tasks aimed at clearing the mind and strengthening group bonds.

The full game lasts 40-60 minutes and is intended for an even number of 2-8 players.

If you are a larger group, take up the challenge. The game time may then be extended.

It encourages real-life connections and enhances capacity for the new. No winners or losers. Just mindfulness, reflection, and joy.

Shuffle the cards, draw one, and everyone performs the task. The game ends when all 30 tasks are completed.

Just be here now and shrink yourself to make yourself larger.

A top-down view shows three hands interacting with a deck of cards and a box on a vibrant orange surface. Two hands on the left, with painted fingernails, are reaching towards the cards. On the right, one hand, also with painted fingernails, is holding a card with abstract line drawings and text that reads

FOR EXAMPLE
shown
message

All players stand up, one behind the other, and close their eyes.

The player with the card stands at the end of the line and creates 3 gestures. Then knocks on the person in front and shows them.

The person in front remembers them and then passes them on.

After a full lap, check the correctness of the gestures.

A rectangular white card is centered against a light gray background. On the card, there are three minimalist line drawings of open hands, reaching upwards, in colors of orange, green, and blue, overlapping slightly. Below the drawings, the words
A woman with her hair tied back in a ponytail, wearing a floral shirt and a green cardigan, stands by a kitchen sink. She is facing to the left and smiling, with her hands held open and palms facing one another. The background shows kitchen shelves with various items, including a bottle, and a dark faucet. Part of another person's shoulder is visible on the far left.

it is what it is

Nothing has changed - worn-out phones still clutter our drawers. They continue to be harmful to the environment, becoming just one element of pollution. As the rules for electronic waste disposal, unclear before, remain so to this day. The lack of actions and any regulations contributes to the emergence of the so-called "grey zone," where there is a lack of clear guidelines on how to handle electronic waste. As a result of this chaos and neglect, the black market for the export of electronic waste is rapidly expanding, escalating ecological problems on a global scale.

the future we fear

The phone is no longer just a tool for conversation. It is identity. It is our thoughts. Because of that, the traditional form of the device is now a thing of the past. Now it is replaced by implanted displays and holograms that integrate with our bodies, completely eliminating the need for the production of a conventional phone. This is an example of highly advanced technology, which, in use, manifests itself externally in the form of glowing irises. This is not only an aesthetically pleasing procedure but, above all - a signal of our digital presence. In this case, the most significant threat is hacking, which can strip us of our most deeply concealed thoughts, desires, and dreams at any moment.

We Want To

The era of unity with technology has come to an end - it is now time for "separation." In this world, principles regarding production and origin are transparent, just as the functioning of the object itself. From now on, the phone is primarily intended to be a reliable connector. It is designed to last as long as possible, and any part replacements or updates are in no way restricted. This eliminates the need for mandatory device changes. The government supports this movement by offering funding for purchases, facilitating our ability to communicate with each other. A key aspect here is standardization, where all devices adhere to the same standards, leading to the creation of a global phone brand. From now on, not only do we receive replacement parts simultaneously, but also regular system updates, ensuring that the phones are always modern and ready for new challenges.

Possible Future

Our phones have an expiration date - updates for a specific phone model end, and the device must be replaced with a new one. This is not due to technological limitations but a conscious decision by manufacturers to charge consumers recurring fees for hardware maintenance. The same applies to batteries - devices start to discharge more quickly over time. Customers are forced to replace batteries or pay for battery service. Additionally, phones come factory-sealed - customers are unable to disassemble the phone for repair or component replacement. To access more features on the phone, we are obligated to pay for recurring subscriptions. Year after year, the fees demand more functions that were previously considered basic, such as access to messages or having a contact database on the phone. Consequently, there is a noticeable and rapid elimination of some phone networks from the market or their incorporation into technology companies that manufacture and sell phones. In the near future, this trend could lead to a monopoly not only on hardware supply and service but also on providing telecommunication services. Monopolies empower manufacturers to inflate prices. Smartphones, even without additional subscriptions, can cost the equivalent of several months' worth of income.

Artists

Dawid Fik, Milena Kuliszenko, Michał Sietnicki, Olaf Stachurski, Iza Żeromska

Magdalena Małachowska, smiling, wearing an orange-brown shirt and glasses.

Magdalena Małachowska Ph.D.

Design-driven economist and lecturer at the Faculty of Design at the Academy of Art in Szczecin. She works at the intersection of design and science, using design tools in workshop-based collaborations with institutions and businesses. Co-founder of the Media Dizajn Association, where she manages international projects focused on sustainable development.

She has collaborated with numerous companies and organizations in Poland and abroad, including Very Human Services, Trendsactive, MOJA, Asseco, Riotters, Natureef, Nickel Technology Park, the City of Gdynia during Gdynia Design Days, the Marshal’s Office of the West Pomeranian Voivodeship in Szczecin, among many others. Winner of the 2024 Dobry Wzór award.

Teresa Otulak with long dark hair, wearing a dark turtleneck.

Teresa Otulak,

Teresa Otulak is an artist and designer expanding the horizons of both disciplines.

She finished Interior Design and Multimedia at the Academy of Art in Szczecin (Poland), where she currently teaches at the Design Department and is pursuing an open Ph.D.

She explores and designs rites of passage through ethnographic work, engaging directly with people in their places of origin. She is also involved in the discovery and shaping of intangible heritage. Her practice reflects a broader interest in the human condition and our place as a species, particularly in relation to the impact of technology.