researcher - Centre de Recherche en Design

De Visscher Émile

Junior Professor

CPJ “Design for Ecological Transitions” at ENS Paris-Saclay.

Research focus

Practice-based research in design with a focus on the conditions of existence and production of products. Combining engineering, chemistry, the science of materials, as well as anthropology, and the philosophy of technology, through his practice as designer-researcher, de Visscher explores different modes of conceiving new and accessible processes of production. Ones that may be both easily distributed and understood, in order to think alternatives to industrial systems.

Biography

Emile De Visscher has trained as an engineer (MA Mechanical Engineering, UTC, 2012) and as a designer (MA Innovation Design, RCA, 2014). He began his research career with the SACRe doctoral programme at Unversité PSL as part of ENSAD. His doctoral thesis, which he defended in 2018, was entitled “Technophanic Manufacturing” and explored the conditions for inventing technological processes that could be practiced the most widely possible. Between 2019 and 2023 he was associate researcher and head of the research group “Material Form Function” within the “Matters of Activity” Excellence Cluster at Humboldt University in Berlin. In 2023 he joined the team at the CRD as Junior Professor and Chair of “Design for Ecological Transitions” at the École Normale Supérieure - Paris Saclay.

Prizes

James Dyson Bursary (2012)
Innovation Hothouse First Prize (2012)

Roles and Juries

2021

Jury member for the agrégation, section: Design et Métiers d’Art, Ministry for Education, at the École Boulle.
Member of the committee for Haut Conseil de l’évaluation de la recherche et de l’enseignement supérieur (Hceres), section écoles supérieures d’art et de design, région Normandie.
Jury member for Masters theses in Applied Arts, specialised in Product Design degree programme for Masters thesis at the École Boulle.

Works

Projets de design

The Polyfloss Factory, Emile De Visscher, Audrey Gaulard, Christophe Machet, Nick Paget, supported by Royal College of Art, ENSAD, Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, ENS Paris-Saclay, 2012-2024. +
Petrification, Emile De Visscher, supported by l’ENSAD, Humboldt Universität zu Berlin and ENS Paris-Saclay, 2015-2024. +
Pearling, Emile De Visscher, supported by Royal College of Art and ENSAD, 2012-2018. +
Vascularization, Emile De Visscher, in collaboration with Igor Sauer, Marie Weinhart, The LSI laboratory at the École Polytechnique, the “Matters of Activity” Cluster at Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, 2020-2024. +

Exhibitions

Curator

Büsse, M. and De Visscher, E., curators (2022). “Material Legacies”, Kunstgewerbe museum, Berlin, with the support of the “Matters of Activity” Cluster of Excellence, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin. 22 November 2022 to 28 February 2023.
De Visscher, E. (2015). “Z33 goes Oblique”, Palazzo Clerici, Milan, with the support of Z33 de Hasselt museum of art and design, during the Salone del Mobile 2015. 15 to 24 March 2015

Solo shows

De Visscher, E. (2018). “Nouvelles Manufactures”, Musée des Arts et Métiers, Paris. With the support of the SACRe doctoral programme at Université PSL; EnsadLab; the École nationale supérieure des Arts Décoratifs laboratory, and the Chair of Arts and Sciences. 26 November to 10 December 2018.

Exhibitor (selected)

De Visscher, E. (2022), “Vasculaire”, as part of the exhibition “Material Legacies”, curated by Büsse M. et De Visscher, E., Kunstgewerbemuseum Berlin, Allemagne, 03 November 2022 to 28 February 2023. Participation in collective exhibitions (limited to the last 7 years, continued).
Beyer, B., Miodragovic, N., De Visscher, E., Resetar, I. (2022), “Co-weaving with Bacteria”, as part of the exhibition “Alchemic Gates”, curated by Paoletti, I., Triennale di Milano, Italie, 13 July to 15 December 2023.
De Bie, M. et De Visscher, E. (2020), “Energies Communes”, as part of the exhibition “Designers du Design”, curated by Fréchin, JL., Tri Postal Lilles, France, 16 September to 15 November 2020.

Exhibitor (selected, to continue)

De Visscher, E. (2019), “Petrification”, as part of the exhibition for the French Pavillion “Broken Nature”, curated by Catherine Geel, Triennale de Milano, Italie. Du 1 March to 1 September 2019.
De Visscher, E. (2019), “Pearling”, as part of the exhibition “Nouvelles Natures” at the Institut Français de Milan, Italie, 1 March to 1 September 2019.
De Visscher, E. (2017), “Pearling lab”, as part of the exhibition “Percolaris”, curated by Giraud, L., at Galerie Arondit, Paris, 27 April to 10 May 2017.
De Visscher, E., Gaulard, A. Paget, N. Machet, C. (2017), “Polyfloss”, as part of the exhibition “Made in Jeonju”, Jeonju Handmade City Week 2017, South Korea, from 19 to 28 February 2017.
De Visscher, E., Gaulard, A. Paget, N. Machet, C. (2016), “Polyfloss”, as part of the exhibition “The Future of Fixing”, curated by Daniel Charney, Center for Craft, Creativity & Design, Ashville, USA, 2 September 2016 to 7 January 2017.
De Visscher, E., Gaulard, A. Paget, N. Machet, C. (2015), “Polyfloss”, as part of the exhibition “Design/Invention, regards croisés”, curated by Sismo, at Musée des Arts et Métiers, Paris, 2 June 2015 to 6 March 2016.
De Visscher, E., Gaulard, A. Paget, N. Machet, C. (2015), “Polyfloss”, as part of the exhibition “HyperVital”, curated by Benjamin Loyauté, Biennale Internationale de Saint-Etienne, 12 March 2015 to 12 March 2015.

Publications

Editor of collected works

DE VISSCHER, Emile and Collectif LPP, (eds), Faux/Fake, MUDAC and T&P WorkUnit, RADDAR revue de recherche en design, n°4, Paris, 2022, 234p.
DE VISSCHER, Emile (eds), Obliquite #2 - Process, with Glithero, Guberan, C., et al. (contributors), Les Presses Pondérées, Paris, 2018, 224p.
DE VISSCHER, Emile (eds), Obliquite #1 - Paradigm, with Seng, J., et al. (contributors), Les Presses Pondérées, Paris, 2015, 224p.

Articles and book chapters

DE VISSCHER, Emile, “Le designer et la matière à l’heure de la crise écologique”, in DAM, Collectif (dir.), Matière/Matériau(x)/Médium: des controverses fécondes, Revue Design Arts Medias, 11/2023. +
DE VISSCHER, Emile (2023). “ Matière and Matériau - Thoughts on Two Ways to Consider Materials and their Design”, in Let’s Get Sustainable, Art, Design and Architecture, Frye, Anika et al. (eds), Verlag fur Moderne Kunst, Vienne, 2023.
DE VISSCHER, Emile “Crafting Time. Speculative Archeology and Inorganic Becomings”, in Material Trajectories: designing with care?, Perraudin, Léa, Winkler, Clemens, Mareis, Claudia and Held, Matthias, Meson Press, Future Ecologies Series, Lüneburg, 2023.
DE VISSCHER, Emile, and MAURUS, Ophélie. Petrification: Material Transmutations and Speculative Archaeology, .able journal [online], Paris, 2023. +
DE VISSCHER, Emile “From the Invention of Manufacturing Processes to the Discovery of Matter”, in Design, Gestaltung, Formatività. Philosophies of Making, edité par Ribault, Patricia, Birkhäuser, Basel, 2022, 197-208.
DE VISSCHER, Emile “Objets singuliers, faits, croyances et recherche en design : quelques réflexions sous le regard de Tobie Nathan”, in Faux/Fake, édité par De Visscher, E. et LPP, RADDAR, Mudac et T&P WorkUnit, n°4 juin 2022, 125-136.
DE VISSCHER, Emile “Trojan Horses, Ambiguity as a critical design strategy”, in Critical by Design. Genealogies, Practices, Positions, edited by Mareis, C., Greiner-Petter, M., Renner, M. Bielefeld, Transcript Verlag, 2022, 163-181.
DE VISSCHER, Emile “Approcher les modes de fabrication par le design”, in MàJ, Design, environnements techniques & pratiques exploratoires, edited by Bertrand, G., Favard, M., Lartigaud, D.O. Cité du Design, Saint-Etienne, 2021, 1-8.
DE VISSCHER, Emile Guiducci, Lorenzo, Resetar, Iva “The Materiality of Resilience”, in Design Culture(s). Cumulus Conference Proceedings Roma 2021, Volume #2. Presented as part of the conference Design Culture(s), Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, 9 June 2021. 3755-3773.

Conférences

Organisation of research symposium

Mareis, C., De Visscher, E., organisers (2021). Material Negotiations: Practices of Biodesign, Cluster of Excellence “Matters of Activity”, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, online, 8 October 2021.

Participation in research symposiums

Lunenfeld, P., Bianchini, S. et De Visscher, E. (2022). La Démonstration, round table, Centre de Recherche Français in Jerusalem (CNRS), online, 16 November 2022.
De Visscher, E. (2022). Material Becomings, Designing with and for Activity, round table as part of the symposium “Let’s Get Sustainable: Art, Design, and Architecture”, Forum fur Interdisziplinäre Studien, Muthesius Kunsthochschule, Kiel, online, 28 January 2022.
De Visscher, E. (2021). The Persistence of Fragile Assemblages, round table as part of the second annual conference “Tipping Points. Plastic, Contingent and Unstable Matters”, Cluster of Excellence “Matters of Activity”, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 17 November 2021.
De Visscher, E. (2021). Fibres - Ndao Hanavao, Recycling plastics in Madagascar, round table as part of the symposium “Times of Waste – Handling Matter, Design Strategies and Practices for Sustainable Use of Materials and Resources”, organised by FHNW Academy of Art and Design Basel with the Cluster of Excellence “Matters of Activity”, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and the Museum of Decorative Arts Berlin, online, 18 June 2021.
De Visscher, E., Guiducci, L., Rešetar, I. The Materiality of Resilience. Conference paper at “Design Culture(s) Roma” 2021, Design Culture of Resilience: Social Innovation | Circular Economy | Sustainability. Sapienza University of Rome, Faculty of Architecture and School of Industrial Design. Virtual. 9 June 2021.
De Visscher, E. We are Fluids. A Quest to Design Life Forms with Electrons. Round table as part of “Material Trajectories. Designing with Care”, 17th Annual Conference of the German Society for Design Theory and Research (DGTF), Living Matter, Re-Attaching, Speculative Design. Round table with Müller, M.; Tikka, E.; Arhensfeld, V.. Cluster of Excellence “Matters of Activity”, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Weißensee school of art and design Berlin, online, 8 May 2021.
Bodart, C. , Le Coguiec, E. , Pihet, V. (organisers), De Visscher, E., et al. (contributors) Penser la recherche dans le champ politique de l’enseignement supérieur. Round table as part of the 88th ACFAS Congress, section 311 - Art, architecture, design. Sherbrooke and Bishop’s Universities, Quebec, online, 4 May 2021.
De Visscher, E. Le design de processus, ou proposer des futurs techniques autres. Conference paper as part of the symposium “Post Design, Alterproduction”, organised by Enon, D., with Rigot, E., Geel, C., Oroza, E., Testevin, P., Thwaites, T., Coccia, E., TALM, Angers, 11 March 2021.
Fétro, S., De Visscher, E., Maudet, N. (contributors), Chomarat-Ruiz, C. (organiser) Quelle éthique pour les outils, machines et manufactures?, round table as part of the colloquium “Design, Arts, Médias”, Université de Paris 1 - Panthéon Sorbonne, Paris, online, 3 February 2021.

Peilloux, A., De Visscher, E., Voillot, M. (moderation). De la scientificité du design: l’expérience du faire dans le processus de recherche, table ronde pour le colloque “Design en Recherche: Pratiques de la Recherche en Design”, Centre de Recherche Interdisciplinaire, Paris, le 21 January 2021.
Brunet, C., Geel, C., Viati-Navone, A. (organisateurs), De Visscher, E., Auger, J., Bosqué, C. et al. (contributeurs) Setting up recycling initiatives in post-colonial contexts. Présentation à la journée d’étude “Post-colonial studies, history of design, and contemporary practices, the »African« case, Contemporary practices of (European) design in Africa: between globalization, fab-lab. and craftsmanship”. Ecole Normale Supérieure - Paris Saclay, Paris, le 27 janvier 2020.
Mosse, A. (organisatrice), Mahé, E., De Visscher, E. et al. (contributeurs) Sciences-Design junctions & frictions, table ronde au symposium “Soft Matter(s)”, École nationale supérieure des Arts Décoratifs, Paris, le 20 décembre 2019.
De Visscher, E. De l’ersatz à l’alternative, une problème de design contemporain. Conférence pour la journée d’étude “L’Age de l’Ersatz”, Haute École d’Art du Rhin (HEAR), Mulhouse, le 29 octobre 2019.

Conferences :

De Visscher, E. et al. Pétrification, de l’organique à l’inorganique. Paper at ADAGP, Paris, 3 October 2022.
Winkler, C., De Visscher, E. New Materialisms and their Designs. Paper at research colloquium “Design and the History of Knowledge” organised by Mareis,C. and Büsse, M., Cluster of Excellence “Matters of Activity”. Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, online, 12 May 2021.
De Visscher, E. Designing with Dissymmetry. Conference “Brown Bag Brunch”, Cluster of Excellence “Matters of Activity”, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, online, 9 June 2020.
De Visscher, E. Making the Making Public. Paper at research colloquium “Critical Media Lab”, Institute of Experimental Design and Media Culture, FHNW, Basel, 22 April 2020.
De Visscher, E. PhD viva at a national museum. Expérience d’un format hybridant productions plastiques, gestes techniques et débat théorique, round table as part of SACRe seminar 2020-2021 #2 - “Formats of practice based vivas”, organised by Mahé, E., École Nationale Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs, Paris, 23 Octobre 2020.
De Visscher, E., Akoun, S. Nouvelles manufactures, Polyfloss et le recyclage de déchets à échelle locale, organised by Paixao-Barradas, M., Kedge Design School, Marseille, France, 28 November 2019.
De Visscher, E. Polyfloss à Madagascar - Du laboratoire au contexte humanitaire en passant par l’exposition, trajets d’un projet de recyclage innovant. Conference at the École nationale supérieure des Arts Décoratifs, Paris, 19 November 2019.
De Visscher, E. Ecologies of Technology. Conference for the Lecture Series “Think, Feel and Act from the Ecological Standpoint”, Paris College of Art, Paris, 18 November 2019.

Site and links

www.edevisscher.com