Grow Your Biomaterial: Transnatural’s Living Matter(s) @ Milan Design Week

It is always a pleasant surprise to find old Irenebrination friends in new contexts. The Dutch platform Transnatural Arts, Research & {future} Design (mentioned in a previous post) has indeed landed in Milan for the local Design Week (until 19th April).

The platform is presenting the "Living Matter(s)" exhibition at the Undai Gallery (Via Ventura 6, Ventura Lambrate) and introducing its Art and Design collection.

The "Living Matter(s)" presentation takes visitors on a journey through the world of synthetic fabricated bio materials, objects and projects.

Transnatural fans will rediscover during the exhibition Nina van den Broek's "Ivorish", an ivory-like material made from human or animal tooth waste material; Aagje Hoekstra's "Coleoptera", a bioplastic made using dead beetles; Sammy Jobbins Wells' algorithmic generated wearable structures covered with materials made from bacterial cellulose, and the Xylinum Cones project, part of a research by German designers Stefan Schwabe and Jannis Huelsen who use bacterial cellulose and living organisms to grow geometrical objects.

Among the highlights of the exhibit there are Julian Melchiorri's synthetic biological leaf and Maurizio Montalti's Growing Lab.

The former, as you may remember, revolves around the concept of photosynthesis: Melchiorri's leaf can absorb water and carbon dioxide and produce oxygen like a plant as the synthetic biological breathing leaves refresh polluted air and could therefore be ideal for applications in the design or architectural fields.

Montalti's ongoing research project explores strategies for growing materials and products by implementing fungal mycelia and therefore allow materials and products to grow in a mold by a process that is comparable to a sort of natural 3D-printing.

The main aim and objective of these projects is to launch or inspire new forms of craftsmanship and techniques, but also innovative production methods: Montalti envisions indeed a world where the classical concept of production is replaced by growth and cultivation and where products come to life through a process comparable to a sort of natural 3D printing. These researches insinuate in our minds and hearts the hope that one day we will be able not to make, but to grow our own products.

While some of these projects are speculative and will need a few more years to be developed, Transnatural also offers the chance to be able to see and buy pieces that are ready for the market, such as Lex Pott and David Derksen's "Transience Mirrors", handmade pieces characterised by striking geometrical forms that show the natural oxidation process in tones that range from silver and gold/brown to purple and blue.

Other available pieces include Mike Thompson and Gionata Gatto's "Trap Light", a glass lamp with embedded photoluminescent pigments, Marjan van Aubel and James Shaw's new range of Black and White "Well Proven Stools" (the stools entered the collection of New York's MoMA last year), based on a chemical process between leftover wood chips, organic resin, water and colour, and Jólan van der Wiel's "Gravity Stools" created using the forces of magnetism.