Special project’s first presentation in the region features more than 200 design projects upcycling various waste material
M7 is currently presenting RoGUILTLESSPLASTIC, an international project conceived by renowned Italian curator and gallerist, Rossana Orlandi, and her daughter, Nicoletta Orlandi Brugnoni, on view until 8 April. The special exhibition, being presented for the first time in the Middle East, features the artworks of creatives from across the globe who were invited to reuse, recycle and upcycle different kinds of waste material.
The exhibition is a key component of the March edition of #QatarCreates, a dynamic national movement that promotes and celebrates Qatar’s diverse cultural scene and boosts the creative economy through exchange, dialogue and collaboration within the fields of art, architecture, fashion, design, and digital culture. M7 is the epicentre of programming for #QatarCreates.
#QatarCreates is built on the pillars of globalise to localise and localise the global; create local capacity development and knowledge transfer opportunities; support the growth of Qatar's creative economy; and enhance audience experience.
Maha Ghanim Al Sulaiti, Director of M7, said: “M7 is delighted to host the inaugural Middle East edition of RoGUILTLESSPLASTIC during the week of #QatarCreates. This special project aligns with our mission to act as a catalyst for creativity and to increase awareness of waste and how design can be a part of the solution to this global problem. We believe the Doha edition will serve as a source of inspiration for creatives on how to develop and adapt design concepts that are both sustainable and contribute towards building a strong creative ecosystem in Qatar.”
RoGUILTLESSPLASTIC comprises more than 200 pieces and design projects, which reflect the continuing engagement of the Milanese gallery owner and her daughter with the international design community since the project began in 2019. The Ro Plastic Prize, for which Qatar Museums’ chairperson Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad Al Thani served as honorary president of the international jury in 2021, forms part of RoGUILTLESSPLASTIC. The international competition aims to encourage the design community to use plastic waste to develop the future of design: plastic re-using, recycling, and upcycling.
The special exhibition at M7 in Msheireb Downtown Doha, supported by the Italian Embassy in Qatar, is one of the most significant events in the RoGUILTLESSPLASTIC world tour, which has travelled both physically and digitally, to more than 20 countries around the globe since 2019. The showcase, exclusively for the Middle East, is the first Rossana Orlandi project to be held in the region. As with her curation of one of the Culture Pass Club Townhouses in Msheireb, and along with her collectible design gallery in Milan – named one of the eight most famous in the world by international press – RoGUILTLESSPLASTIC binds Rossana Orlandi with Qatar Museums’ design-centric cultural initiatives.
Motivated by the desire to envision different waste material as a resource to produce new materials, RoGUILTLESSPLASTIC began by exploring how to repurpose plastic rather than disposing it. The founders have since elevated the project to propose new tools for communication that raise public awareness around “waste is value”, to people of all ages and professions.
Discussing the origin of RoGUILTLESSPLASTIC, Rossana Orlandi and her daughter Nicoletta Orlandi Brugnoni recall, “We started all of this in 2018, moved out of the sheer desire to avoid feeling helpless in the face of the issue that the world was facing at that time: plastic. We didn't know exactly what to do, but we certainly knew what we didn't want to do: simply be one more complaining voice. With passion, we dedicated ourselves to spreading the message on which GUILTLESSPLASTIC is based: plastic is not at fault. Instead, it is the abuse and misuse of it which has caused such a profound environmental tragedy. We began to involve many of the designers who are friends of the gallery, as well as those who are involved in our work, by asking them to conceive designs with the ‘reuse, recycle and upcycle of plastic’ in mind.”
The Doha exhibition features winners from all four editions of the Ro Plastic Prize, along with a careful selection of the most compelling projects in each category of the competition. Featured projects include designs by artists from Brazil, Germany, Greece, New Zealand and South Africa. These artists’ works are featured alongside internationally renowned designers that accompanied Rossana Orlandi in the Ro Plastic Master's Pieces event, during the first edition of RoGUITLESSPLASTIC: Nacho Carbonell, Fernando Mastrangelo, Patricia Urquiola, Barnaba Fornasetti and Formafantasma.
“Rossana Orlandi is a worldwide known iconic gallerist, a true example of Italian excellence in the field of design and innovation” commented Ambassador of Italy to Qatar, Alessandro Prunas. “RoGUILTLESSPLASTIC, which Mrs. Orlandi is presenting in Doha, is aimed at creatives from all over the world and promotes sustainability and waste reduction through design and its innovative power. Combining design excellence with environmental stewardship and sustainability is perfectly in line with the Italian government’s commitment to protection of the environment and social development. I am very grateful to Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad Al Thani for bringing Rossana Orlandi and RoGUILTLESSPLASTIC to Doha. The Embassy of Italy is looking forward to developing further exciting joint projects with Qatar Museums”.
To coincide with the exhibition, M7 is leading Storytelling Through Regenerative Design: Exploring Our Relationship with Materiality¸ an exclusive two-day programme from 30 to 31 March, where fashion, textile and product designers explore how the field of regenerative design could be a tool used for storytelling, bringing attention to pressing challenges around the world, including environmental, social and political challenges. M7 will also host a RO Plastic Prize information session on 27 March, during which participants can learn more about the international award and the entry requirements. To register to participate in the two-day programme and/or information session, please visit www.qm.org.qa
Led by Roni Helou, winner of the Fashion Trust Arabia 2019, and in collaboration with Doha Environmental Actions Project (DEAP) Qatar, this programme will explore our relationship with materials through a practical case study at Sealine beach. Designers will be invited to the beach clean-up to explore different forms of sustainable materials. A hands-on workshop will also be held at M7 the following day.
Qatar Airways is the official airline partner of #QatarCreates.