Thomas Thwaites: The Toaster Project

Location: Speaker’s Corner on the show floor

Designer and futurist Thomas Thwaites’ book The Toaster Project documents his attempt to make an electric toaster from scratch by digging up the raw materials at various disused mines around Britain, and then processing and refining them in his home in south London. He will talk about this nine month journey, craft work and economies of scale, alarming specialization, and the history and possible futures of human society as embodied in the simple electric toaster.  Since earning an MA at the Royal College of Art Design Interactions in 2009, he has undertaken a number of projects, including work involving futures forecasting, biotechnology, and projects exploring prohibition, evolution and genetics. Thwaites’ work has been exhibited recently at the Science Museum in London and the National Museum of China, Beijing.