THE OBJECT REPURPOSED BY A SUGGESTED IMAGINARY: THE HIDDEN PHASE OF UPCYCLING

The object is omnipresent wherever we are. It has stood alongside us and accompanied us since the dawn of time. Henceforth, its permanent and protean presence encourages us to question its degree of importance in our daily life and reveals in us the urgent need to understand it differently. Design, as an activity that is more interested in the production of meaning, tries to make the world of objects-especially those that have sunk into oblivion-a field of exploration and discovery. These objects are considered “a matter of the imagination,” which releases information. The repurposed object, as perceived and devised by the designer, endows itself with another life and a more complex expression. The prosperity of upcycling or slow design fits into this perspective of revaluing the object as a symbol, sign, and material, by adopting an approach where environmental awareness and the user's well-being are of paramount importance. © 2019 De Boeck. All rights reserved.