The Last Man: Chapter 1 Improvement was a mass participatory experiment that saw students, staff and others to create new objects for The Last Man that focused on progression and improvement in contemporary product design.
In December 2013, Gallery visitors were invited to borrow an object from The Last Mans collection, make an improvement to it, of whatever kind, and return it the following day. The object was then available to be chosen by another participant, whose improvement could alter previous work. Exactly what constitutes improvement was the fundamental question at play. Individual contributions are anonymous, voluntary and impermanent, but each was documented.
A selection of objects have been published above as a visual log of The Last Mans solitary yet hopeful acts of labour and imagination.
The ongoing project provides a speculative vantage point to consider issues relating to product design and consumerism, manifested through a series of experiments that call on the views, tastes and skills of multiple participants to produce objects that represent the work of The Last Man.
With thanks to all those who participated anonymously on behalf of the Last Man.
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