Polymeric materials in art and design: an Italian interdisciplinary experience

Abstract

The Plart Foundation is a private museum entirely dedicated to synthetic
materials. The main objectives of the institution are the diffusion of the history and the contemporary culture of plastics, the promotion of a conscious use of plastics and the diffusion of conservation practices regarding plastic heritage. The Foundation exhibits one of the richest collections of historical plastics: more than 1800 artefacts comprising jewellery, toys, electrical appliances, furnishings, dating from the late 19th Century, up to contemporary design objects and artworks.

The traditional museum activities are accompanied by temporary exhibitions of contemporary designers and artists whose common denominator is the use of synthetic polymers; intense educational projects, where the chemistry of synthetic materials and the concept of eco-sustainability are explored by means of advanced multimedia technologies; scientific research activities on the preservation and conservation of the historical and contemporary collections.