Biomaterials Archive
Collection and Exhibition Tutor-Curator
NL, 2019
Two years after starting to teach Make Material Sense, I felt the urge to showcase a collection of biomaterial samples that my students and I had been creating, keeping, growing, and sharing solely within our class for inspiration so they could push their boundaries.
I discovered an excellent exhibition space, contacted former students, created a database, made new samples at Precius Plastic, and, along with my 35 students whom I had recently met, organized an exhibition entitled 'Biomaterials Archive: Samples & Other Stories' at Dutch Design Week.
The research-based exhibition changed every day, was in flux, biodegraded, and had dead and alive samples, medicine, bioluminescence, edibles and metamaterials. It featured a table full of samples divided by categories, along with ingredients and recipes available on demand, biodesign objects, D-I-Y tools, a lecture on Design & Biology and a musicalised night-viewing event.
The aim was to present the archive publicly, allow students to exhibit, learn about curation, participate in the shows, and contribute to the field's growth.
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‘A multi-sensory exhibition showcasing a selection of daring, resourceful and beautiful biomaterials’ explorations from students at Make Material Sense, a course at Design Academy Eindhoven for exploring resources locally, practically and sensorially in order to stretch the possibilities of what bio-based matter could be or do.
The Biomaterials Archive unfolds a catalogued, diverse collection of samples and biodesign objects, material alternatives to leather, plastic, marble and MDF, grown matter and recycled waste, Open-Source formulas, design and biological observations, DIY machines, a BioLab and the best stories from the class. It shows how these young designers are taking matter into their own hands by farming organisms on the school’s shelves or recycling what’s being trashed at home, school, city or farms, while they expand their network, close some loops and make new, shorter life-span materials that forge new paths into design and interior architecture.
Come to make sense of our (present) future before it’s eaten by microorganisms. Our world could soon be made from old bread and sand, rice and paper, moss and wool, unloved fruits bioplastics, peanut-MDF, recycled graves, waste coffee, mycelium, kombucha, orange peels, cow poo, cat hair or dust…
Created by current and past students at Make Material Sense, a programme for second-year Bachelors from all departments at Design Academy Eindhoven. Curated and assembled by their tutor Ana Lisa, and produced in collaboration with biohackers from Glimps (BE), scent-specialists at The Institute for Art and Olfaction (US) and Precious Plastic machines (NL).
This exhibition is #ZeroWaste #ZeroBudget. Everything on show is biodegradable, compostable, will be recycled or reused, is free-of-charge, lent, it’s our own, or grown for the occasion.’
