August two to 25th, following a year residency at Arsenal art contemporain Montreal, the fascinating Canadian duo Studio Rat explores our coexistence with plastic in Parachute, an oversized inflatable installation quilted with the remains of our consumer habits.

Similar to a quilt, Parachute traces the material story of its making by highlighting the past lives of plastic discards while simultaneously engaging with its reimagined value for the present and the future.

Made of discarded plastic sheets and shopping bags salvaged over time, Studio Rat's 30 foot high inflatable structures stand in direct opposition to traditional, static architecture. Imbued with the habits of consumerism and domestic life, these quilted walls, raised by air projection, envelop their visitors in a shared space of unlimited, indefinite play.

Both an altar of hope and a room to inhabit, Parachute presents multiple scenes of both intimacy and expanse that reimagine our connection with plastic.

Composed of Emily Allan and Dominique Di Libero, Studio Rat has been working since 2018 to develop installations at the boundaries of sculpture and experimental design.

Committed to Do It Yourself (DIY) fabrication techniques, Studio Rat has developed a creative practice based on resource sharing and circular design principles. In addition to giving new life to plastics, their installations transform the spaces in which they are displayed, bringing a playful and surreal effect.

Emily Allan and Dominique Di Libero live and work in Toronto and Montreal (Canada) and hold a Bachelor of Interior Design (B.sec) from Toronto Metropolitan University (Canada). Their installations have been exhibited in Canada and internationally at venues such as the SADE Gallery (Los Angeles, USA) and Design TO (Toronto, Canada).