Paradox of Isoëtes: Future of Almost Lost Species

Can commodification save endangered plants from extinction?

This project is now archived and was part of DDW24

Product photo of Isoëtes cutlery as consumer good

Šimona Němečková

Adam Kvaček's The Paradox of Isoëtes explores the human-nature relationship using the endangered plant Isoëtes as an example. This graduation project is based on the idea that the easiest way to save an endangered species is to make it useful to humans, for example, as consumer goods.

The focus is on the process of commodification - creating a commodity from a given species and turning it into disposable cutlery as a symbol of consumption. The project aims to explore the alienation of humankind from nature through interactions with the environment we live in. The speculation offers a scenario of the near future in the context of the current alarming decline of natural species due to human behavior. The project shows the interaction of humans with plants as other-then-human beings in three thematic levels: - the protection of endangered plant species through protected areas, - the commodification of plant species for human purposes through forest monocultures, - and the creation of artificial environments through greenhouse complexes. Through these examples, the project shows what the next step in human interference in natural processes could look like if intensive reshaping of nature continues.

Aquarium w/ endengared species Isoëtes echinospora

Petr Žemla

Isoëtes plant in form of material as a commodity

Šimona Němečková

The evolution of disposable cutlery

Šimona Němečková

The dysfunctional fossil-looking Isoëtes cutlery

Petr Žemla

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Participants of this exhibition

Adam Kvaček

Hosted by

Adam Kvaček
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About Adam Kvaček

Adam is an object maker and spatial designer. He focuses primarily on design-research in his projects and most often communicates his work through installations, workshops, or objects in combination with other media. In the course of his work, he has had the opportunity to be part of Milan Design Week or Brussel Design September and to collaborate with interesting actors such as the Czech Centre New York, the Franz Kafka Society, the Czech National Museum, and the Beautiful Work project.