This year, the Design Museum will stage a landmark exhibition exploring how humans can relearn to design with and for the natural world in the face of the climate emergency, affirming that as humans we are a part of the natural living world, not separate to it.
More than Human, opening 11 July 2025, will showcase over 140 works spanning contemporary and traditional practices, fine art, product design, architecture and interactive installations.
We asked the co-curators of the exhibition, Rebecca Lewin and Justin McGuirk, to select their five highlight objects and artworks that will feature in the exhibition.
1.
We are often so accustomed to thinking of gardens as spaces designed for our own pleasure, however Alexandra Daisy Ginsberg subverts this idea in her long-running project, Pollinator Pathmaker, using an algorithm to design gardens for pollinators, catering to their food and shelter needs. For the exhibition Ginsberg will produce a brand-new iteration of this project with a vibrant tapestry that shows an unrealised garden from the perspective of a pollinating insect throughout the transitions of the seasons, reminding us of the need for empathy for other species.
2.
A series of photographic works by Federico Borella and Michela Balboni will be on show, depicting the Rumiti, central figures in both Christian traditions and folklore. Clad in leaves for an annual carnival in southern Italy, these tree-men act as living symbols of a deep connection with nature and its preservation.
3.
Bronze-cast cornhusk masks by renowned British artist Jonathan Baldock similarly assess ideas of localised folklore and traditions. Baldock himself comes from a family of hop-gatherers and gardeners, and this personal history has influenced his research into the crafts and traditions that humans have developed to celebrate our relationship with the land. Inspired by pagan corn dollies, these masks were originally made from corn and worn during a performance before later being cast in bronze to immortalise these seasonal objects into pieces of art.
4.
The Alusta Pavilion was originally built for a courtyard in Helsinki in 2022, designed to offer shelter to humans, plants, insects and fungi alike. Over several seasons, a garden and insect community flourished around the structure allowing for multispecies encounters. The pavilion’s main structure will feature in the exhibition and demonstrate how architecture can encourage biodiversity in urban environments.
5.
Johanna Seelemann designed her series of Oase vases to reference the shape of petrol cans and car fuel tanks, when considering how plants compete for space with cars in urban environments. As well as acting as a clever physical metaphor, they function as clay pot irrigation systems to assist trees in urban spaces with water retention, incorporating ancient irrigation methods in a contemporary context.
More than Human will open on 11 July 2025, with tickets available to book today.
