Memo: Remembering the Futures

The Fondation d’entreprise Martell is pleased to present Memo: Remembering the Futures, an exhibition curated by the duo d-o-t-s (Laura Drouet and Olivier Lacrouts) and co-produced with the Belgian museum CID  – centre for innovation and design at Grand-Hornu. Through the lens of design, the exhibition explores the connections between memory, environment, and futures — themes dear to the Foundation, which is committed to sharing with the public the approaches of creators engaged in reflecting on pressing contemporary issues.

In response to anthropogenic disturbances that degrade environments and multi-species relationships, the artists and designers featured in Memo develop new forms of memory and rituals that examine the future emotional and sensory impacts of our present and past actions. Informed by scientific and historical research, the sensitive narratives they create invite us to commit to ecosystem preservation. Their multisensory works—sometimes incorporating olfactory, auditory, or performative elements—act as memory triggers, urging us to remember and react.

Representing all five continents, the 15 projects exhibited focus on exploring global issues through approaches that are embedded in specific geographical, ecological, and cultural contexts. The challenges they address (such as river management, monocultures, species extinction, and the preservation of ancestral knowledge) resonate particularly in Charente and more broadly in France.

Promoting committed transdisciplinary approaches, these projects aim to nurture the ecological consciousness of visitors of all ages, provoke reflection, evoke emotion, motivate engagement, and encourage environmental action. In doing so, they are perfectly aligned with the Foundation's mission.

Artists & designers: Félix Blume (France), Emma Bruschi (France), Liselot Cobelens (Netherlands), Collider x The Monkeys (Australia), dach&zephir (France), Roberta Di Cosmo (Italy), Cian Dayrit & Cla Ruzol (Philippines), Alexis Foiny (France), Suzanne Husky (France / USA), Simone Kenyon & Lucy Cash (United Kingdom), Fernando Laposse (Mexico), Sally Ann McIntyre (New Zealand), Neve Insular (Cape Verde), Bubu Ogisi / I A M I S I G O (Nigeria), Yesenia Thibault-Picazo (France)

Curators: d-o-t-s (Laura Drouet / Olivier Lacrouts)
d-o-t-s is a curatorial practice founded by Laura Drouet and Olivier Lacrouts, independent researchers and curators, that merges critical research and environmental thinking to explore the relationships that human and other-than-human communities establish in the landscapes they cohabit. Defined by the participatory and interdisciplinary approach, d-o-t-s’ work spans exhibition-making, hands-on workshops and design commissions, with a focus on fostering dialogue across diverse fields. Since 2024, d-o-t-s are members of the French association of curators, C-E-A.

They are the authors of the two collective publications: Plant Fever. Towards a Phyto-centred Design (Belgium: CID Grand-Hornu & Stichting Kunstboek, 2020) and Greenhouse Stories. A Critical Re-examination of Transparent Microcosms (The Netherlands: Onomatopee, 2023).

Among their 2025 projects: the sound installation Aquacanta (Luxembourg Urban Garden festival, May 24–September 14, 2025); the exhibition & publication Earthbound. Worms, Soil, Decay (Bridderhaus—Luxembourg, June 28–September 14, 2025); the exhibition Memo: Remembering the Futures (Fondation Martell—France, June 13, 2025–January 4, 2026); the illustrated book Liga and the Rainbow Trout (France, 2025).

Laura Drouet (Niort, Italy, 1989) holds an MA in History of Art from the University of Poitiers, France.
Olivier Lacrouts (Milan, Italy, 1988) holds a BA in Industrial Design from the Politecnico di Milano, Italy. 
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