Genuinely creative minds know that nowadays it is almost impossible to favour one field of research over the other. Successful fashion and interior design experiments combining art, science and technology have proved for example that a healthy exchange between different disciplines can lead to innovative projects and to new and hybrid mediums of expression.
The Dutch platform Transnatural Arts, Research & {future} Design could be defined as a vehicle towards this transdisciplinary approach. Transnatural organises indeed events that cross-fertilise art and design with technological and scientific innovations, sharing knowledge and sparking dialogue between creative minds, artist/design studios, laboratories and companies and the public.
Directed by curator and label owner Arjen Bangma and supported by a strong team of creative people, programme designers and curators, the platform has organised in September Beyond Biennial, a series of events that took place in the North of Amsterdam, and that looked at the latest developments in (interactive) media, art, design, technology and science.
Among these events there was also "The Reality Shift" exhibition, exploring the boundary between the physical and the virtual world.
In September 2014, the organisation also presented experimental performances like "DIY Brain Hacking", while last year designer Jólan van der Wiel led the workshop "Stuff with Attitude 1.1", in which the participants experimented with low-tech materials and forces of nature to generate new designs.
Fashion fans may remember how the designer's experiments focused on creating new shapes for conventional objects in innovative plastic materials using magnetism led him to a collaboration with Iris van Herpen in her "Magnetic Motion" collection.
Transnatural recently launched a new exhibition, "Living Matter(s)" that looks at synthetically fabricated bio materials and materials with comparable outcome, from Nina van den Broek's Ivorish, an ivory-like material made from human or animal tooth waste material that may be able to offer an alternative to the elephant ivory business, to Sammy Jobbins Wells' algorithmic generated wearable structures covered with materials made from bacterial cellulose.
There are further intriguing projects in the event, such as Julian Melchiorri's synthetic biological leaf that can absorb water and carbon dioxide and produce oxygen like a plant (ideal for applications in the design or architectural fields); Maurizio Montalti | Officina Corpuscoli's The Growing Lab, an ongoing research project exploring strategies for growing materials and products by implementing fungal mycelia, and the Xylinum Cones project.
The latter is part of a research by German designers Stefan Schwabe and Jannis Huelsen who use bacterial cellulose and living organisms to grow geometrical objects.
Transnatural also offers the chance to buy special products by new designers. The collection currently on offer includes light, interior and outdoor designs characterised by an exceptional and futuristic aesthetic.
Among the highlights there are Jólan van der Wiel's Gravity Stools, Marjan van Aubel & James Shaw's Well Proven Stools in bioresin (a development of the Well Proven Chair) and Tim van Cromvoirt's Thermophores installations that continuously change colour in accordance with temperature fluctations.
When did you decide to start Transnatural Arts, Research & {future} Design?
Arjen Bangma: I've always been fascinated by things that could be achieved with technology in the fields of arts and design. I started Transnatural 5 years ago, first as an exhibition and conference event dealing with the nature and technology theme in general. We got so much interest and positive feedback from participants, visitors and press, that we decided to setup an ongoing platform in which theme-related experiments, exploration and research are central. At the same time, the commercial department - the Label - promotes and sells knowledge and skills.
How would you describe to our readers Transnatural Arts, Research & {future} Design: is it a research platform for example?
Arjen Bangma: Transnatural is a unique vehicle where culture and commercial aspects meet within an essential philosophy and brand. All cultural activities and the Art & Design label collection are related to an envisioned world where creative skills, forces of nature and technology partly or completely merge. Transnatural offers makers, thinkers and researchers a platform to do research, share, and / or make something new with gathered knowledge, skills and information.
Some of the events or projects launched by Transnatural Arts, Research & {future} Design go beyond the boundaries of design, mixing with art, fashion, science and technology. Do you think that a balanced hybridisation between disciplines will be the path to the future, rather than a rigid division into separate disciplines?
Arjen Bangma: I think it is. It's time to leave the idea of a disciplinary approach. It's a little bit old fashioned to think and act that way. The specific boundaries between a lot of art and design projects is fading these days. Many artists/designers are working together with scientists and/or technicians, and companies and universities in the field to reach some kind of ultimate goal. Along the way they're gathering information and developing specific skills and tools to make it happen. Sometimes they use modern environments like DIY, open (biotech) labs. They've become multi-tasking and, in a way, it's even hard to define them as 'designers' or 'researchers' anymore. On a global scale it's really clear that we need to act and think differently. The way we humans have treated the world for decades isn't sustainable any more. Most of us are becoming aware of that fact now. The new generation of makers in the creative industry, which is rather unique in Holland, is one of the most powerful communities dealing with (future) issues like energy problems, urbanisation, air pollution, food problems and so on. It's not the big companies who make strong innovations; most of the time it's small, flexible start ups, individual creative people and entrepreneurs who make the difference. Time has changed rapidly.
You've recently worked on the "Living Matter(s)" exhibition: why do you feel we are simultaneously attracted and repulsed by the possibilities that synthetic bio materials are offering us?
Arjen Bangma: Our statement isn't that we are simultaneously attracted and repulsed. In general we think there's so much to gain and explore in the (synthetic) bio materials field and mixing that with new techniques, methods of production and craftsmanship. It's a fact these fields are still developing, but some are ready for the market.
In your opinion will science have a stimulating role in the future of creative disciplines?
Arjen Bangma: Yes for sure. I think it's clearly working in both directions. You need science in the process to get new ideas and things done.
Which of the projects included in this event stimulates or fascinates you the most?
Arjen Bangma: I find all projects on show very interesting, but I think that the following two are particularly special - The Silk Leaf by Julian Melchiorri, a young designer from the UK, and The Growing Lab by Maurizio Montalti. Together with a scientist, Melchiorri created a synthetic biological leaf that can absorb water and carbon dioxide and produce oxygen like a plant. The material is suitable to be used on extremely large scale projects and it therefore offers potential to serve at various levels of design, from product design to architecture or - as the designer claims - it may be even suitable for long term space rides. That's truly amazing! The Growing Lab is an ongoing research project, exploring strategies for growing materials and therefore products, by implementing fungal mycelia. Through his project designer Maurizio Montalti envisions a world where the classical concept of production is replaced by a new paradigm based on growth and cultivation and where products come to life through a process comparable to a sort of natural 3D printing. We can finally start to grow our own products, just like speculative designers such as Sascha Pohflepp and Alexandra Daisy Ginsberg already predicted in their project Growth Assembly in 2010.
What kind of people usually visit the Transnatural Arts, Research & {future} Design events (researchers/artists/students/families as well?) and what's their feedback usually?
Arjen Bangma: An amazingly broad and wide variety of people are visiting Transnatural, basically everybody who's interested in now/future thinking. All categories you mention are involved. In general they are amazed about the projects we present and are very much thrilled about cross-disciplinary advantages they see in the joint forces aspects of nature and technology in projects.
Why do you think Dutch designers/researchers/institutions are so forward-looking when it comes to researches mixing the creative arts and technology or science?
Arjen Bangma: The structure of Dutch art, design and research institutes is pretty well-organised. Our funding opportunities to invest in experiments and innovation is enormous. Together with the fact that the Dutch are curious, entrepreneurial people, this makes us forward looking. It's the output of a transdisciplinary way of working that leads to new insights and forms.
Would you define yourself as an experimental person?
Arjen Bangma: I would say I'm an experimental, analytic person and practical at the same time.
"Living Matter(s)", Transnatural Workspace, Lijnbaansgracht 148a Bg, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, until 27th March 2015.
All images in this post courtesy of Transnatural Arts, Research & {future} Design
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