The Plastique Protection
An art collective called Plastique Fantastique from Berlin contributes towards the medical community through a PPE and also tries to bring in humour to the concept of social distancing through a bubble mask.
Plastique Fantastique is an art collective which samples the performative possibilities of urban environments. Established in Berlin in 1999, Plastique Fantastique is influenced by the unique circumstances that made the city a laboratory for temporary spaces. All their installations are lightweight, mobile and relate to the notion of sharing space with citizens through creative pursuits.
Marco Canevacci & Yena Young
Plastique Fantastique
Innovatively naming themselves Dr. Trouble, Marco Canevacci, and Ms. Bubble, Yena Young, the two directors of Plastique Fantastique mostly creates the simplest of structures – a skin that separates but also connects, that breathes new life into the city and makes the invisible visible.
This team wanted to contribute to the society during the time of Coronavirus and created two different projects regarding Covid-19.
“One is practical solution for space and the other is funny but serious product,” they explain. One is a Mobile PPS (Personal Protection Space) for Doctors.
“Fighting against COVID-19, doctors might be exposed to the infection when masks and protection suits are in shortage. The Mobile PPS is a pneumatic space where doctors can treat patients in transparent protective space. It has constant over pressure, which means, the air flows only toward outside of the space, not letting the virus coming inside. The clean air supply is guaranteed by a ventilator located outside or in an extra decontaminated space,” explain Marco Canevacci. The PPS consists of three areas, the air lock area, the care unit and the relax area.
Air lock area keeps the air pressure and prepares doctors with disinfection procedures and is made of White TPU. In the care unit, doctors can treat the patients according to their health condition, all medical machines are here inside the PPS. It hasa size of 4m by 8m and can be attached and detached with each other. Doctors are protected by transparent plastic layer and constant over pressure air flow. In the relax area doctors can rest between shifts.
iSphere, the next creative from them is a “funny and serious object” that stimulates how to approach this exceptional situation.
“The Coronavirus is changing our relation to each other and affecting our perception of reality. This virus is very democratic: it spreads over the borders, has no preference for gender, social, cultural, or economic status. In this time of lock-down, we wonder about the mutation of our social life and the effects of the deprivation of physical touch,” says Yena Young.
This air bubble over humans is in reaction to the decree in Berlin to cover one’s mouth and nose in public transport.
“The iSphere is an open-source project that everybody can produce, develop and improve. We taped two transparent hollow hemispheres together and cut a hole that fits our heads. The whole procedure took approx. 30 minutes and the costs for the material are 24 Euro. Additional gadgets can give a unique touch to with a sunshade, a mirrored layer, an integrated microphone, a speaker, a ventilator, or a snorkel, depending on your mood or needs,” explain the two.
“The iconic design is inspired by the science fiction comics of the 50s and the creations of the utopian movements of the 60s; it is popand it belongs to everybody,” says Yena.
