Studio Saar x Atelier One - Craft & Technology, Natural Allies

How can small objects be repurposed and recontextualised by designers for the greater good? Ananya Singhal of Studio Saar and Professor Neil Thomas of Atelier One will discuss their collaborative work on The Pangolin Shield, a Landmark Project at this year’s London Design Festival, with writer and curator Amy Frearson, ahead of World Bamboo Day on Friday 18th September. The Pangolin Shield is a pavilion formed of recontextualised cane shields from India, underpinned by a bamboo grid. A combination of traditional Indian police shields and "knups" – woven rain shields, traditionally used by farmers in north-east India, are repurposed from their original use to create a comforting space to spark curiosity. Creatively allying craft and technology, the pavilion explores what nature can teach us about structure. It also draws inspiration from the physical contradictions of the pangolin: its protective scales deter its natural predators but in turn invite the fatal interest of human beings. The speakers will explore these topics as well as other themes inherent in the pavilion’s design including the long shadows of colonialism, power, ecological exploitation, and the movement of people and beings across borders.