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Maarten Baas and G-Star RAW present “More or Less”, the exhibition on the balance between sustainability and mass consumption

More or Less Maarten Baas and G Star RAW ©G Star Raw
Maarten Baas and G-Star RAW present “More or Less”, the exhibition on the balance between sustainability and mass consumption it has been modified: 2023-05-12 di Social Design Magazine

The exhibition "MORE OR LESS" highlights the duality between the desire to have more and the need to have less. Artist and designer Maarten Baas and denim brand G-Star RAW have collaborated to create an inspiring exhibition that explores one of the fundamental problems of our age: the tension between the desire for more and the need for less through a series of works of art and design made with denim scraps.

The exhibition features a fifteen-metre-long private jet and a triptych of jeans-shaped wardrobes, all made using recycled G-Star jeans. Two impressive light sculptures, entitled "More or Less", frame the entrance to the exhibition and create a theatrical atmosphere.

The location of the “More or Less” exhibition is the Church of San Paolo Converso, built in the XNUMXth century, which offers an evocative and unexpected backdrop for the provocative designs. The exhibition is intended to spark discussions on the duality of sustainability issues and the paradoxical interaction between green design and mass consumerism, a sensitive topic especially for an event like Milan Design Week and an industry that encourages consumption. Creating a private jet, a symbol of luxury, out of recycled materials is likely to provoke reactions not only for its massive scale, but also for the strong statement it makes on the duality of sustainability issues.

More or Less Maarten Baas and G Star RAW ©G Star Raw

“Every year in Milan I witness the tragicomic dialogue between green design and mass consumption. When G-Star approached me for a collaboration, it was the perfect opportunity to focus on this duality. After all, we're all part of the same puzzle: enjoying our prosecco next to this private jet made from recycled materials. We are not saving the world, but are we contributing to a betterment? More or less…", says Maarten Baas.

Maarten Baas is one of the most interesting designers of the XNUMXst century, capable of surprising and intriguing the public. G-Star asked Baas to create a series of artwork and designs using a new woven fiber material derived from recycled denim.

The result is a triptych of playful and functional wardrobes, reminiscent of a pair of jeans. All three wardrobes are made from a woven fiber created from recycled G-Star jeans, specially developed by Danish textile innovators Kvadrat Really. The jeans were collected from G-Star stores in Europe through the 'Return your Denim' programme, which allows customers to return their old jeans for recycling.

During the exhibition, visitors can also bring their used clothes to print with the signature message “More or Less”.

"At G-Star we believe there is no limit to what denim can do. In this case, we highlight what our waste denim can become and how we can transform waste materials into something meaningful and unique, that makes us think and think. Because we all want more, but our planet needs less. This is an uncomfortable reality that we all have to deal with. Yes, we are constantly striving to improve our impact on people and the planet, but at the same time we are aware that we also encourage consumption. This symbolizes the difficult balance of being a responsible and successful brand at the same time.”says Gwenda van Vliet, CMO of G-Star RAW.

The two six-metre-high light sculptures, titled 'more more more' and 'less less less' respectively, deliberately repeat the words More and Less like an advertising message, electrifying the exhibition title with a quirky crisscross of 3D architectural signage and LED text display.

The moving letters of 'more more more', and the excess of commercial signalling, paradoxically spelling 'less less less', visualize the inner tension between what we desire and what we think we should do, and the forces that seduce us into one direction or the other. The programming of the words is erratic, so the installation develops a life of its own, mimicking a loss of control.

The sculptures are the continuation of Baas' most recent public work: 'intellectual heritage', installed on the facade of the Utrecht public library (NL).

The “More or Less” exhibition is open to the public from 18 to 23 April from 11 to 17, at the Church of San Paolo Converso, Piazza Sant'Eufemia 1, in Milan. Admission is free and during the event visitors will have the opportunity to customize their garments with the print of the message "More or Less".

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