The Pop-Up Generation

Publications

Whether its on our computer screens, in the form of a cardboard cut-out or a temporary cultural event, we all find ourselves surrounded by pop-ups.

By Cassandra Pizzey /asdf 09-05-2012

In Lidewij Edelkoort’s latest book entitled The Pop-Up Generation: Design Between Dimensions – coinciding with the exhibition of the same name at MOTI – we see what it really means to be part of the pop-up generation.

Together with Lotte van Gelder, Edelkoort selected over sixty works to be included in this book which deals with temporary, mobile or recyclable projects. A wide scale of different pop-up-themed projects are featured in the publication, labelled with the symbols for hybrid, D.I.Y., temporary, mobile or a combination of the four.

In addition to the colourful works, a number of essays by Ahmed El Hady, Carla Fernández, Bruce Sterling, Dr. Martine Naillon, Paola Antonelli, Hedwig Heinsman and Edelkoort herself tackle questions faced by today’s generation of designers and thinkers.

The pop-up theme is tackled from many angles in the short essays. We read about the pop-up mentality as being able to shift between the 2D and 3D world at ease, discussing a universe in which designers have become architects and fashion designers make films, where guerrilla actions seem to be by-products of the pop-up generation, becoming viral just as quickly as fading from existence.

The subject of 2.5D is extensively discussed, as are some rather philosophical ideas about the mind, and the inner-most workings of our brain. A cultural approach to pop-ups is presented by Carla Fernández who relays her experiences of Mexican vs. European clothing construction while Paola Antonelli argues a more permanent use of the objects that surround us.

In the book, pop-ups are discussed in a wide range of fields, from architecture to temporary shops but also as a product of the ‘new’ generation’s mindset, not forgetting those more unwanted pop-ups which are forever filling your computer screen with ads.

The Pop-Up Generation features a great mix of flick-through imagery and in-depth essays to guide you through your pop-up adventure. Although many of the projects printed in the book speak for themselves, those with smart phones, tablets and laptops may want to consider looking at the the projects in more detail.