What happens when a book no longer tells a story but becomes one?

A designer and social thinker Jan-Micha Gamer brings a bold, poetic statement to Green Week with Beyond Content 01, a sculpture that redefines our notions of material, meaning, and memory in an age of excess. 

In an era where sustainability and circularity are paramount, Berlin-based artist and designer Jan-Micha Gamer stands at the forefront of innovative environmental art. Specializing in transforming everyday waste into thought-provoking installations, Gamer challenges our perceptions of consumption and the lifecycle of materials. 

Beyond Content 01, created especially for the Green Week, epitomizes this ethos. By repurposing discarded booksinto modular building blocks, Gamer crafts a vibrant, pixelated sculpture that blurs the lines between rigidity and fragility, geometry and organic form. The visible titles on the book spines offer fragmented glimpses into forgotten narratives, prompting viewers to reflect on the transient nature of information and the physical mediums that convey it. 

Zero waste starts with the question: What do I really need? What is necessary has to be produced from the things existing-with the aim of longevity. Instead of the conventional aesthetics of the new, we need to get used to the aesthetics of the used and recycled.

Gamer's academic background-a BA in Product Design from HfG Schwäbisch Gmünd and an MA in Social Design from the Design Academy Eindhoven-underpins his holistic approach to art and design. Beyond his installations, he collaborates with companies to close material loops and educates on sustainability, upcycling, and fostering a circular society. 

Beyond Content 01 not only transforms waste into art but also serves as a poignant commentary on our throwaway culture. As the European Commission's #ForOurPlanet campaign emphasizes, embracing a circular economy is crucial for reducing waste, combating climate change, and preserving biodiversity. Gamer's work embodies this vision, demonstrating that creativity and sustainability can coexist harmoniously. 

By reimagining waste as a resource, Jan-Micha Gamer invites us to reconsider our relationship with materials and the stories they tell.