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"Missing Species" as design activism
As a stunt of design activism, the designed artwork The Missing Species was presented along the Oslo fjord coastal walking path, attached to living plants of Japanese knotweed. Along with the artwork, there was a plaque with information about the project, the plants, and the problem of biodiversity in the local area. The aim was to encourage hikers to ponder the impact of human activity on nature.
The discursive design object “Missing Species” functioned as a boundary object, making the hikers stop and ask questions. Questions about how the handmade paper was made, lead to questions about the material it was made from, and further to questions about the invasive plant, Japanese knotweed which the artwork used as a backdrop and suspension system. The 2-3-meter-tall Japanese knotweed was completely blocking the ability to enjoy the view of the seascape from the exhibition site and was a visual statement of the problem. At the site, there was no space for small native plants where this giant was residing.
As a result of the "Missing Species" design activism, discursive design was brought to the audience in their surroundings and some local people became familiar with the issue of biodiversity in their area and claimed to be willing to engage in the problem personally.





