Background
About the Co-Presenters
RedLine (www.redlineart.org) is a nonprofit organization and diverse urban laboratory where art, education and community converge. Our vision is to foster forms of social practice in the arts that inspire inquiry and catalyze change. With its dynamic physical space, talented Resident Artists and proximity to some of the city’s most culturally diverse neighborhoods, RedLine continues to evolve into a center for contemporary art where creative expression is celebrated and integrated into the fabric of our community.
iDE (www.ideorg.org) is a nonprofit social enterprise unleashing the power of innovation and market forces for poor farm families in the developing world, helping them access the tools and knowledge they need to increase their income. For over 28 years, iDE has continued to develop its market-based approach by designing affordable tools, improving market access, increasing agricultural production, and creating sustainable local businesses. To date, iDE staff throughout the world, have helped more than 19 million people lift themselves out of poverty.
Design for the Other 90%: Exhibition Overview
“The majority of the world’s designers focus all their efforts on developing products and services exclusively for the richest 10% of the world’s customers. Nothing less than a revolution in design is needed to reach the other 90%.” – Dr. Paul Polak, founder, iDE
Design for the Other 90%, http://other90.cooperhewitt.org/, co-presented by RedLine and iDE, is a Smithsonian exhibition that highlights both the functional and aesthetic aspects of innovative design solutions being developed and implemented to reduce poverty and improve the quality of life in developing countries, nationally and in our own communities. The exhibition features more than 30 projects that reflect a growing movement among designers, engineers, and social entrepreneurs to create low-cost solutions for everyday problems.
Objects featured in the Design for the Other 90% are organized under six verticals:
Shelter
Health
Water
Energy
Transportation
Education
Affordability, Access & Opportunity
Of the world’s 7 billion people, 90% have little or no access to most of the products and services many of us take for granted. A myriad of ground-breaking technologies are being developed by the world's finest designers. Unfortunately, only 10% of the world's population can afford those technologies or access them directly. Design for the Other 90% highlights a growing movement of designers working directly with end users of their products, emphasizing co-creation to respond to their specific needs. Many of these projects employ market principles for income generation as a way out of subsistence living. The exhibition demonstrates how to eradicate poverty through design.
Global Issues from a Local Perspective
While many of the challenges facing the developing world may seem remote, success or failure in overcoming these challenges will have a global impact, either for the better or worse. Colorado’s long commitment to environmental stewardship and progressive policy in areas such as renewable energy, transportation, and water conservation make it the ideal location to showcase and discuss these challenges and the designs and policies that are successfully addressing them. Issues such as clean water, clean air and adequate food supply are issues without borders. Failure to protect and provide them in one part of the world has ripple effects across the globe. Design for the Other 90% is designed to shine a light on this reality, demonstrate how smart, thoughtful design is addressing these challenges and underscore how many of the solutions not only can help directly with issues around the world, but can also be applied right here in our own backyard.
Art, Design & Quality of Life
Communities often measure their vitality by the vibrancy of their artistic and cultural traditions. The exhibition will be presented in a way that challenges visitors to view the innovative design solutions showcased in Design for the Other 90% through an artistic lens. Art installations, lectures, performances, youth-guided gallery tours, and other programs will underscore the interconnectedness between people, places and cultures of our world and explore the creative potential and resilience of the human spirit.
For more information and how to get involved visit http://design90denver.org/.
