natural

This is grown.

Jen Keane (US)

This is grown. was motivated by a frustration with plastics and a visible disparity between scientific research and design manifestations around natural materials. Taking an organism-driven approach to material design, the project began under the premise that a greater understanding of nature could help us not just replace the petrochemical based materials of today with more sustainable ones, but perhaps allow us to devise entirely new systems of making and categories of materials previously unimagined. After all, nature has had 3.8 billion years to perfect the ultimate circular economy: Life. Maybe we can still learn something.

Rhizomes

Freya Probst (DE/UK)

These grown gowns are the outcome of a series of experiments and playful interactions with plants and the observation of their roots through photography or time-lapse video. Experiments with pearls, small gears, or the positioning of seeds lead to different plant responses. The outcome was eventually applied to larger surface areas in the shape of cutting patterns reminiscent of fine woven textiles. The exhibits show a subterranean, hidden aesthetic of a natural structure that cannot be copied by humans.

The Earth that Is Us

Bruno Gomes (BR), Karapotó Plak-ô Indigenous community, Alagoas (BR)

An extension of the concept of body painting with the use of technology that opens the door to new experiences and new conversations. Participants drew the elements present in their natural environment which were then animated and projected onto their bodies.