21.05.2020 Academic lectures, Visual Arts

Eco-Solidarity | circula.org

Clever: Podcast About Design with Tomek Rygalik- short interview moderated by Amy Devers, on Eco-Solidarity and Circula. Published on May 11 is NOW available HERE

May 21 @ 2 PM ET LIVE Conversation, Register HERE
Moderator: Jaime Derringer, Design Milk
Panelists:
Tomek Rygalik, the founder of circula.org, TRE Product, Studio Rygalik, and faculty at the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw
Joel Towers, Parsons School of Design
Caroline Rubio-MacWright, Touching Land

Eco-Solidarity is a multidisciplinary project that addresses the urgency for a more human-centered art, design, architecture and their social implications in public spaces, centered around the public furniture and a sculpture “Circula” by a designer Tomek Rygalik, founder of circula.org, TRE Product, Studio Rygalik, and faculty at the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw.

Clever: Podcast About Design features Tomek Rygalik in a short interview moderated by Amy Devers, announcing for Eco-Solidarity and Circula, published on May 11 in the podcast episode with Ayse Birsel.

The Live Conversation from the Design Milk + Clever Series, on May 21 will focus on strategies and solutions that bring integrity to public space infrastructure and solidarity to fractured social fabric through socially- conscious, sustainable design which contributes to public health. Discussion on socially-conscious humanitarian furniture design that offers newest technologies (recycled plastic and eco-wood) as a solution for more human-centered living environment, reflecting also on issues of overproduction and recycling industry in response to Circula will be addressed by a designer and educator, Tomek Rygalik (circula.org, TRE ProductStudio Rygalik). Discussion will be addressed from macro issues like ecology, environment, and climate change, by an architect and educator Joel Towers (Parsons School of Design). Social justice, immigration, and art as a tool to integrate displaced communities, will be the focus of an artist, activist, and an immigration lawyer, Caroline Rubio-MacWright (Touching Land). All angles of the live talk will converge in public wellbeing and public space. Register for the Eco-Solidarity Zoom webinar HERE

Eco-Solidarity developed as a result of a collaboration between designer Tomek Rygalik founder of circula.org, and the long term partner Polish Cultural Institute NY. Facing times of social distancing caused by environmental and humanitarian crises, Eco-Solidarity brings various disciplines and industries from around the world into round-table discussions, in a mission to offer strategies that reintegrate displaced social bonds, and foster community discourse around these issues through the medium of innovative contemporary design and art.

Eco-Solidarity celebrates 40th anniversary of Solidarity formation (Polish: Solidarnosc), as it reflects the principles of the movement which united displaced parts of communities in a common cause that inspired the world to lead to the collapse of the Soviet Union, and set the nation on a course toward democracy.
Circula (circula.org) is an object-sculpture-public furniture piece designed to reduce social isolation and strengthen societal bonds recovering from the social distancing. The concept based on ideas of sustainability and circular economy advocates for ecological approach in future design solutions. Circula provides a symbolic, functional, space for dialogue to encourage and facilitate direct social interactions. Once implemented, it supports urban infrastructure and belongs to the community.
Circula is constructed of two special objects circular in shape, one made of synthetic material, recycled plastic, and the other made of naturally renewable resource – wood. The production methods focus on achieving a perfect closed circular form with the use of disparate materials and technologies. In dialectical conversation, the objects will generate space to reflect on the best use of eco-technologies comparing and contrasting the centuries old wood processing and recycling of plastics including the currently unrecyclable plastics coming from overproduction.
The shape and intuitive function of Circula creates a natural environment for social connection, while being at the same time an extraordinary element of the public space. It tackles multiple aspects of social life – community, integration, interaction and culture – showcasing how solidarity can be stimulated through design. In result Circula will offer space for online and on-site round-table conversations to help overcome the social displacement, restore integrity in the fabric of communities, and convene in finding most effective design solutions, that would best protect human health and the weakened ecosystem.
Eco-Solidarity is a result of long-term collaboration with Tomek Rygalik and Studio Rygalik as well as WantedDesign, which brings together art and design into one platform for sharing ideas in the public space by integrating local communities, as well as international design industries.

Presented and organized in partnership with WantedDesign, Design Milk + Clever podcast, and the Polish Cultural Institute New York.
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