'The bag of the future' - Tassenmuseum Hendrikje
A group of young designers from the Interactive/Media/Design at the Royal Academy of Art in The Hague (KABK) were given the assignment to design ‘the bag of the future’ for the ‘Future Bags’ exhibition to be held from 17 April through 29 July 2018 at The Museum of Bags and Purses in Amsterdam.
To achieve this, the students had to consider new forms of function, interaction and social identity. What new materials and technologies would be available by the year 2050? Although natural and eco-friendly plastics are commonly used today, the future is sure to offer new alternatives. Will hyperconnectivity mean the disappearance of bags altogether? Will our bodies themselves become ‘the bag’?
Project details
Partner
Museum of Bags and Purses,
Amsterdam
Work
Drawings, video clips, research into materials, prototypes
Year
2018
The bag is bound to continue its development; for this reason, the museum provides not only a cultural historic interpretation of the bag but also serves another important purpose: to indicate new designs, applications, materials and production techniques. The Museum of Bags and Purses is also committed to stimulating young designers and to offering a platform for new talent.
Technology, hyperconnectivity and fashion
For six months, students at the KABK worked in small teams to create prototypes, services or installations. As guidelines, they were asked to consider certain factors: technology, interaction, hyperconnectivity and fashion.
Technology
What new materials and technologies could be available by the year 2050? Today’s designers are increasingly working with natural materials and considering sustainable processes. A good example of this is the development of various eco-friendly plastics. Both the design and production process of the future bag may also involve changes. Who knows? In the future, we might buy an open source file to use as a blueprint, allowing us to use 3D technologies to print our bag for every new occasion.
Hyperconnectivity
Will we still need bags to carry around by 2050 or will they have disappeared in a world of AI and hyperconnectivity? Will our own body have become ‘the bag’? In times of water shortages, your bag might actually serve as an essential extension of yourself and a real part of your body that regulates bodily fluids (organic jewellery).
Fashion
What kinds of fashion statements will people make in 2050? How will people use a bag to display their status? A bag made of organic material that’s now considered distasteful might serve as a statement against vanity in the future.
‘Future Bags’, an exhibition in collaboration with the KABK, will be on display in The Museum of Bags and Purses from 17 April through 29 July 2018.