Libraries Without Borders: ‘Designing Peace’

New York City, New York Jul 20, 2022 (Issuewire.com) – The Ideas Box, Libraries Without Borders’ iconic mobile media
library designed by Philippe Starck is a featured attraction at “Designing Peace,” a new exhibit at Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum in New York, the organization announced today. The exhibition, which opened on June 10 and runs through September 4, 2023, explores the essential role of design in building peace around the world.

Established in 1897, Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum advances public understanding of design via dynamic exhibitions, educational programs, and online resources. “Designing Peace” continues Cooper Hewitt’s humanitarian design exhibition series, showcasing how design can address some of the world’s most intractable issues.

The “Designing Peace” exhibition examines the role of design in facilitating and achieving durable peace and justice, featuring 40 projects from 25 countries. The exhibition notably features the Ideas Box, a mobile media library kit, designed by Philippe Starck for Libraries Without Borders (in French, Bibliotheques Sans Frontieres, or BSF) in 2014.

Encompassing books, games, computers, tablets, creative materials, and cinema, the Ideas Box can be deployed in 20 minutes to create a pop-up cultural and learning space accommodating up to 50 people. In an emergency, crisis, and conflict situations — including current relief efforts at the Ukraine borders in Poland and Moldova — the Ideas Box enables people of all ages to build confidence, learn and connect

“This exhibition is an important acknowledgment of the work we have been doing for more than 15 years to increase access to education, cultural resources, and information for the most vulnerable communities around the world,” said Patrick Weil, Founder, and Chairman of BSF.

BSF has configured more than 150 Ideas Box kits in 24 countries that, combined, welcome nearly one million visits per year. The organization’s impact on communities is consequential and measurable: in assessment surveys, 26 percent of users report feeling increased social cohesion, and 20 percent report increased confidence in the future.

About Bibliotheques Sans Frontieres

BSF (Bibliotheques Sans Frontieres, or Libraries Without Borders) is an international non-profit that strengthens the capacity of people in vulnerable situations by facilitating access to education, culture, and information. In more than 30 countries, BSF creates innovative learning spaces that enable those affected by the crisis to explore, play, build communities, and construct their futures.

For more information, visit www.librarieswithoutborders.org.

About Philippe Starck

Philippe Starck, a world-famous creator of diverse, engaging environments, has always focused on the essential. His vision: creation, in any form, must improve the lives of as many people as possible. This philosophy has made him one of the pioneers of the concept of “democratic design.” From everyday products to architecture and naval and space engineering, Starck continually pushes the boundaries and demands of design – it’s why he’s among the most visionary creators on the contemporary international scene.

For more information, visit www.starck.com