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Paul Schrijen www.atelier010.nl

Sugar Rush: against the consumer driven society

By 05-04-2017

ONE WEEK ABOUT Dutch Designers in Milan by Connecting the Dots in cooperation with Civica Scuola Interpreti e Traduttori ‘Altiero Spinelli’

Nothing is created, nothing is destroyed, everything is transformed: that’s the concept of Sugar Rush. Spectators may feel puzzled and amazed as they enter room R04 at Civica Scuola ‘Altiero Spinelli’ and see this new project by Paul Schrijen. The message is clear: Sugar Rush wants to make people reflect and its aim is to warn us about the dangers of a consumer driven society. This project comes from the necessity to preserve our planet and limit our consumeristic habits.

The installation makes the public come face to face with the short life of objects, presenting a work destined to be destroyed. In the setting of a café, chosen to emphasize the idea of consumption of goods, visitors are welcomed to sit at coffee tables entirely made out of sugar. As soon as someone spills a drop of hot liquid, the surface simply melts to the ground. The remaining sugar is collected and put back together to make new tables. By making the spectators take part in the project, Paul Schrijen wants to trigger their emotions. As the tables crumble before their own eyes, curiosity and amazement arise spontaneously.

Design becomes language, in order to spread a message of criticism. Sugar Rush forces the audience to be aware of society’s growing consumerist behaviour, by showing production, use and destruction of products within one space. Overall, Paul Schrijen’s final message is an invitation to become more sensitive, both as people and as citizens. He invites us to take the positive from his work by learning an important lesson: respect the nature that surrounds us. The melted sugar grains are not wasted but are used to give things a new life, without over-exploiting further resources.

According to Paul Schrijen, everyone should experience Sugar Rush. It could be a possible solution in order to make people aware of an issue that is highly topical.

Text: Roberta Tirinato, Francesca Limardo and Dominique Di Lorio – students of Civica Scuola Interpreti e Traduttori ‘Altiero Spinelli’