Predictions shift, the cycle repeats. Recent headlines speculate on the fluctuating probability of an asteroid colliding with Earth in 2032, each new observation reshaping the forecast, reminding us that no prediction is ever set in stone. As Hamilton states in Defiant Earth, the natural world inherited by modernity is gone, and all of the ideas built on it now float on its memory. The world we think we know is constantly evolving, yet we cling onto outdated assumptions, constructing ideas upon landscapes that no longer exist.

We have built cities, restructured landscapes, and extracted nature with little thought of the long-term consequences. But nature is never truly silent, responding through climate change, altered ecosystems. Cactus Store translates this silent conversation into design, challenging us to see, listen extra closely, and reconsider our place within it.

A few months ago, we hosted "Weird Cousins," an event celebrating the idea that all life forms are connected. It was also an opportunity to introduce Cactus Store, a company that shares this perspective. Their graphic work beautifully illustrates this concept, which we would like to delve deeper into some of this designs. “We realized it was our job not just to sell plants but to tell their stories and to show people how to coexist with them as lifeforms.”

The Nonhuman Teachers opens the discussion that the best lessons often come from ecosystems, an invitation to learn from the world within us. The Bee Attractor design plays on the idea of an entire spectrum invisible to the human eye. A quiet dialogue happening, bees and flowers, just beyond our perception. Similarly, Ways of Seeing shifts our understanding of how perception varies across species. 

With Stone Eater’s, it is a lesson of tough love, grasping our understanding of survival. Desert plants don’t wait for perfect conditions, but adapt to what is available, surviving where others wouldn’t stand a chance. Nature isn’t fragile, yet we are drawn to these mysteries, eager to decode their resilience. 

With this train of thought, bring us the provoking quote of ‘A species at war with itself is doomed’. Plants, with their quiet resilience, will outlive our constructed separations, proving that in the vast continuum timeline of life, human constructs mean little to the ecosystems that endure. 

As this designs reminds us, we are not the architects of this planet but participants in an interconnected system, one that has long existed before us and will persist long after. We have always embodied the belief that design celebrates the idea that creativity is never isolated from its surroundings. Art, music, architecture and storytelling are all deeply rooted in the rhythms of nature, evolving just as landscapes do. 

The Hort/Culture SS+GKL celebrates an event where author Sophie Strand and Javanese gamelan musicians explored seasonal rhythms and celestial connections through art and sound. Creativity is a product of the environment, whether we realise it or not. In which, John Wilson & Molly Lewis, invites us to look closer. John Wilson, known for his HBO series, captures the odd beauty of everyday life, turning the mundane into something extraordinary. Paired with Molly Lewis, earth’s most iconic whistler, this event encouraged people to slow down and take in details that are often ignored. 

Just as we carefully curate pieces for a space, each of these designs serves as a conversation starter, challenging us to see beyond the familiar. We become so accustomed to viewing the world a certain way that we overlook how much exists beyond our field of vision. If the future is always in motion, how do we design for a world that is constantly evolving, one we don’t yet fully understand?

Find our more about each design online and in store.