Several photographs titled “Design for the necessity of the animals,” taken during this retreat, reveal his ability to recognize ethical design limitations. In each one he has constructed an artificial element in the natural world for intended use by creatures in that environment. Each photographic composition promotes the product in a magnificent environment (similar to the obscure natural locations often featured in car commercials): a secluded bird hotel perched on a desert plateau (15), a convenient millipede landing strip fringed by a lush jungle (16), and an accessible butterfly television set rising from a fertile grassland (17). Regardless of his apparent cynicism, Ettore is a believer of consumption. By alienating himself from his familiar environment, Ettore draws a deeper awareness of what defines cultural consumption. Through this photographic travelogue (exhibited at the Cooper-Hewitt Museum in New York in 1976), Ettore illustrates a moral discrepancy in “consumptionism” created by traditional cultural values placed in new cultural surroundings. He invites people to scrutinize the basis of their ethical standards in choosing products, so that they can better account for the emotional quality of their changing environments.

15. Design of a Beautiful Hotel for Bird Tourists
16. Design of an Airport for Millipedes
17. Design of a TV Set for Night Butterflies