TechnoCRAFT Exhibit At Yerba Buena

In 1980, the San Francisco Redevelopment Agency (SFRA) initiated plans for a new neighborhood to be called Yerba Buena that turned a once dilapidated area of the city into an urban oasis which today features housing, open space, retail, cultural institutions and the Moscone Convention Center.

Yerba Buena Center for the Arts (map), the project’s anchor cultural complex, was developed as the result of years of community input and planning with scores of Northern California artists, as well as cultural, educational and civic leaders. YBCA’s mandate was to feature culturally diverse, community-based, national and international contemporary interdisciplinary arts, culture and entertainment. YBCA was also designed to participate in experimentation, change and the discourse and debate between the arts and public life.

Now through October 10th, a new exhibit titled TechnoCRAFT explores how the boundary between the role of the designer and the consumer is disappearing. Curated by acclaimed designer Yves Behar, the exhibition traces the current trend in design away from fixed objects toward open “design platforms” that invite people to participate in the creative process.

Selected works span the spectrum from intentionally collaborative (such as platforms where individuals can customize their products) to outsider hacks, where “finished” products are adapted or modified by the user. Special attention is paid to the intersection of technology and craft that encourages an unprecedented level of user participation with profound implications for the future of design and experience making.

Photo courtesy of flickr Alvaro Portugal