Materialism, as the name already suggests, refers to “materialism” and the concept of “matter”. In fact, the project by Studio Drift in Amsterdam, exhibited during Dutch Design Week at the Van Abbemuseum, presents an installation of 3,000 blue blocks, each representing the plastic used to make a single supermarket bag.

The founders of Studio Drift participated in the positioning of the plastic blocks that were supposed to be shopping bags for Albert Heijn, the iconic Dutch supermarket, defining the work as a true “three-dimensional consumption index”.

And so solid blocks play an even more incisive role in the complex work of raising awareness:

“We want people to feel the amount of materials we use physically as well”.

Inside the space, there is also a video installation that focuses on the rhythmic movement of the supermarket doors that open and close to allow customers to take their shopping and plastic with them.

The solid blocks can be purchased at the museum’s gift shop, where the proceeds will be donated to Dave Hakkens’ Precious Plastic project.