Wheat is Wheat is Wheat.
Peddy Meguri questions design's ethical boundaries in his latest exhibition
Could Ferrari ever be successful in the pasta aisle? And would Jonathan Ive’s penchant for stark packaging work in the dairy aisle?
In the latest work of Israel-based designer Peddy Mergui, the design language of some of the world’s most iconic brands— Apple, Nike, Tiffany, Versace, Dolce Gabbana, Bulgari, and more— is applied to the grocery aisle with fascinating results.
Throughout Wheat is Wheat is Wheat, Mergui exaggerates the aesthetic and conceptual triggers that influence consumer trends and manipulate the relationship between an object and an ideal, effectively turning a viewer’s perception of quality on its head through the power of design.
Sometimes the results are grotesque, and yet some are surprisingly tasteful, even great. Mergui’s packaging for an orange sold by Nike is such a natural extension of the Oregon-based athletic wear’s branding, it’ll make you wonder why Nike doesn’t break into the fruit aisle. But should they?
That, Mergui says, is the question. Where is the ethical boundary is when it comes to a design’s ability to influence consumption? If they so chose, Apple might be able to sell iMilk for £10 a gallon, or Nike a branded orange for £5 a pop. And if they could, what does it say about us?
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