Slovenian architecture studio Medprostor used firewood logs as modular stackable elements for the scenography of the BIO27 Super Vernaculars design biennial in Ljubljana, Slovenia, a show which has been shortlisted for a 2023 Dezeen Award. Curated by Jane Withers, the 27th edition of the city’s design biennial was held at the Museum of Architecture and Design (MAO) for a four-month run during the summer of 2022, exploring how designers and architects are adapting vernacular traditions and value systems to address contemporary dilemmas such as water scarcity, waste, and shrinking biodiversity. In line with the brief of the exhibition design, the goal was to rethink classic parameters and pay attention to sustainability in the context of a temporary presentation.
Medprostor stacks firewood for Ljubljana design biennial exhibition
The logs were pre-cut to standard lengths then oriented vertically and bound together to create tables, platforms, and low-lying display podiums of various heights and sizes, while some were notched at the top to hold mounted photos and texts on honeycomb cardboard sheets. Grey and orange straps recycled from the shipping industry were used to tie the wood together and hang cardboard panels from the ceiling and a few boasted video screens or projected images. Meanwhile, Medprostor worked with graphic designers Studio Kruh and AAA to continue the low-impact approach to the exhibition graphics and signage, which were printed on-site at the museum.
The firewood was also able to extend its drying process for the duration of the biennial, rendering it more energy-efficient when finally used as fuel, and ensuring that the logs could be returned to the supplier with a better ecological footprint. The BIO27 Super Vernaculars scenography is a nominee in the exhibition design category of the 2023 Dezeen Awards, which will be presented during a ceremony and a party in London on Tuesday 28 November 2023, produced under the creative direction of The Unlimited Dream Company in Ljubljana.
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