Chicago 2008

June 12 saw the doors close on the first leg of Elogico 2008. A unique platform conceived to address issues in design and ecological sustainability.
5 days of exhibitions, round table discussions and events, held in Chicago and welcoming participants from around the world.
The first edition met with success - a reflection of the ever-increasing importance of environmental sustainability in the minds of those working in the design industry. Held during Chicago's NeoCon fair, Elogico attracted large numbers of attendees both locally and from overseas. Over 1000 visitors attended the exhibition, whilst the round table discussion offered an entertaining and thought provoking Sunday afternoon to over 100 industry professionals.

The driving force behind Elogico comes from a series of academics, designers, architects, lobby groups and companies - all who consider ecological sustainability a fundamental part of the future of design.

The event was divided in two principal stages: 

• A Round table discussion, held on Sunday 8th June in the prestigious Fullerton Hall of the Art Institute of Chicago and featuring international authorities on ecological sustainability, design and architecture
• An specially curated exhibition at the Chicago Illuminating Company Building showcasing leading Italian companies at the forefront in the movement towards sustainable design.

Round Table Discussion
To celebrate its inauguration Elogico presented a round table discussion featuring an international line-up of experts and designers presenting their vision of the issues relating to sustainability.

The speakers and their topics were:

	Leo Breedveld (2B Environmental Cosultants) spoke about the Italian example where, in the absence of governmental regulations or clear industry guidelines, individual producers have taken up the cause of sustainability and made it a central part of their corporate mission statement.
	Marco Steinbergh (Harvard Design School) presented a Harvard case study on Italian company Valcucine, highlighting the company as an extraordinary example wherein sustainability is considered at every level in the life of a product: from design to selection of materials, to the management of waste and "recyclablity" of the final product -  all without compromising the aesthetic value of the product.
	Gianni Cantarutti (Author and wood expert) presented his book in which he catalogues over 1000 different types of timber and advocates a more responsible use of this precious resource.
	Marco Bettiol (Venice International University) spoke about the new face of design as "cultural entrepreneurship": more than an aesthetic consideration, it focuses on considerations such as economics, aesthetics, the environment and social responsibility. Bettiol identified several case studies where some of these objectives are most manifest. Bettiol also underlined the "grass roots" nature of this development. In the absence of governmental regulation, the success of this new approach depends entirely on the passion and determination of these entrepreneurs.
	Susan Inglis (Sustainable Furniture Council) spoke about the need for caution and the phenomenon of  "greenwashing" whereby processes and products are promoted as being environmentally sustainable, when the contrary is true.
	Elva Rubio (Architect and Design Director at Bruce Mau Design Studio Chicago) drew upon her vast and prestigious experience as a leading architect to examine the issues of sustainability within the field of urbanism and architecture.

Elogico – Exhibition

The opening on 9th June was celebrated with an invitation only media brunch for media partners and journalists and a party welcoming over 600 invited guests, celebrating the opening of an exhibition featuring Italy’s leading design brands - Artemide, Casamania, Creazioni, Metalspot, Morelato, Moroso, Pagano, Parri, Valcucine and VG Newtrend.

The evocative Chicago Illuminating Company Building was home to a specially curated exhibition where the companies showed examples of ‘sustainable design’ from their catalogue. Clear evidence that the elegance for which design ‘made in italy’ is famous is not incompatible with a sense of environmental responsibility. All pieces on show were made from a vast range of recycled and recyclable materials.

Designer Dario Bettiol, artistic director of the exhibition, created a setting inviting visitors to examine the world around them and the objects which populate it - to consider the environmental issues intrinsically linked to their creation, use and disposal. The entire exhibition display was created using recuperated and recycled materials, or materials which have completed ‘life cycle’. Mannequins, packing plastic, old tyres, oil drums and the words of Pablo Neruda welcomed visitors at the entrance to an exhibition dominated by the use of shipping pallets, filtered green light, projections and recycled paper, all framing the latest creations of Italian design in a thought-provoking juxtaposition.

Elogico's Action Painting

Elogico Elogico is a stimulus. Stimulating design professionals and industry workers to expand their horizons and witness first hand the possibilities offered by sustainable design.