The art of innovation: how creativity shapes the future of design
The art world is a catalyst for free thinking and new ideas. It challenges conventions, pushes boundaries, and invites us to reimagine the world around us through the use of materials, colours, and forms in unexpected ways. For Maria Uggla, Polestar’s Head of Colour and Material, the world of art is rich with inspiration, and is one of many areas from which she draws from to inform her work. Travelling from her home in Sweden to the Melbourne Art Fair in Australia, she sees not just an opportunity to explore artistic expression from the other side of the world, but a chance to gather inspiration that could help shape the next generation of Polestar’s sustainable automotive materials.
I think I’ve always been a climate activist, even before I became a designer. To be able to combine my two passions, design and sustainability, I couldn't be in a better place in a better time.
Partnering with Polestar for the first time, The Melbourne Art Fair is one of Australia’s largest annual displays of contemporary art. Showcasing new and unique work from established and up-and-coming artists around the country, it draws crowds of art enthusiasts from Australia and beyond as a key moment in the cultural calendar.
Stepping into the fair for the first time, Maria is immediately struck by the high calibre of artworks on display.
“It’s a really high level on the work that different artists have presented. What we've seen and what I've seen so far is quite inspiring,” says Maria.
Australia offers its own unique artistic perspective. From the works of First Nations artists, exploring connection to Country and nature, to contemporary artists exploring circularity and material use through their works, the fair is alive with creative energy.
The sharing of knowledge
While there is plenty to take in wandering through the exhibits, the fair also acts as an important information exchange. Panel discussions covering art, design and sustainability enable a space for like-minded people to come together, learn and grow. As a passionate advocate for the environment, Maria understands sharing what she knows can be the catalyst to inspire others to make choices that positively impact the world around us.
"We seek inspiration in many different areas, but especially in art,” says Maria. “Design and art is very connected, so it's the perfect opportunity to be a part of the panel discussion, talking about our views on sustainability and material innovation, as well as listening to others to get the inspiration to bring back to Sweden.”
The conversation on material innovation aligns with Polestar’s broader mission: to push the boundaries of what sustainable luxury can look like in the automotive industry. Through collaborations with partners such as the Swedish School of Textiles, Maria and her team have propelled the automotive interior into the future. Taking cues from fashion, design and art, and turning waste materials like PET bottles and fishing nets into luxurious knits and finishes, her team's handiwork is a real, tangible outcome that anyone can touch and experience when sitting inside a Polestar car.
For VIP guests of the Melbourne Art Fair, they were able to experience this sustainable luxury firsthand, with Polestar providing VIP transport to the fair in a fleet of all-electric Polestar 3 vehicles.
01/05
Exhibiting a message
Perhaps reflecting a growing awareness of environmental issues, there is an increasing tendency for artists to incorporate repurposed, recycled and organic materials in their works. Artists exhibiting at the fair like Jahnne Pascoe-White and Kim Ah Sam are championing these methods in their art, not only to avoid the unnecessary use of virgin materials, but as a way of demonstrating new ways of thinking when it comes to material use. From Kim’s woven baskets made from materials found in her community, to Jahnne’s layering of repurposed canvasses and use of natural dyes, these are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to rethinking how we source and use materials, to have a lighter impact on the planet.
It's this environmental consideration Maria thinks all industries must take note of.
“It's so important to give material a value, to get away from this linear economy that we have been in. We have to collaborate with different industries and suppliers, because we cannot do this alone,” she says.
Towards the future
Exploring art allows us to understand global movements that are important for staying relevant in time. At the Melbourne Art Fair, it isn’t just about looking at paintings and sculptures. Maria is absorbing perspectives and narratives across the world that will influence the next generation materials and colours for Polestar.
Preparing for her return to Sweden, Maria reflects on her time in Australia. Leaving full of inspiration from her first trip Down Under, she notes the responsibility she feels as a designer to create the new and unseen. By translating influences from worlds like art, fashion and nature into something original, Maria is one of many designers actively shaping the time and place that we live in, creating bold new expressions that are not only functional and luxurious, but are also environmentally responsible.
Discover Polestar’s sustainable materials.
Experience Polestar with a test drive.
