**The goal of this project was to explore and develop simple methods for open material archiving....**
**The goal of this project was to explore and develop simple methods for open archiving of socalled "new naturals"\*....**
- that is not only ecologically, but also historically, culturally, geographically aware
- that is not only ecologically, but also historically, culturally, geographically aware
- that can extend material activism beyond bioplastics
- that can extend material activism beyond bioplastics
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@@ -16,6 +15,8 @@
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@@ -16,6 +15,8 @@
- offering a package that allows novices to learn, and educators to get started in a systematic way...
- offering a package that allows novices to learn, and educators to get started in a systematic way...
- ... and encourages experienced material designers and "alchemists" to continue asking the hard critical questions regarding sustainability and share those considerations with each recipe or ingredient.
- ... and encourages experienced material designers and "alchemists" to continue asking the hard critical questions regarding sustainability and share those considerations with each recipe or ingredient.
\**note: "new" or "other" naturals is not a thing (yet). But the word is sometimes used in material archives as container category for materials that don't fit the traditional material families of wood, hide, metal, glass, plastics, stone, etcetera. New or other naturals is a left-over tag to indicate composite or otherwise hybrid materials made from renewable natural resources such as food waste, plant fibres etcetera.*
##Outcomes
##Outcomes
A curated selection from best practices found in research labs, material archives and design studios from all over the world. The information itself was already widely known, this project is an effort to ask new questions, and think up new structures for organising and building on this knowledge in open, collaborative ways, not over-simplifying nor mystifying the information and skills needed. It is also an exercise in learning globally, but practicing *locally*, using resources locally abundant in your location (which for me, was the Netherlands).
A curated selection from best practices found in research labs, material archives and design studios from all over the world. The information itself was already widely known, this project is an effort to ask new questions, and think up new structures for organising and building on this knowledge in open, collaborative ways, not over-simplifying nor mystifying the information and skills needed. It is also an exercise in learning globally, but practicing *locally*, using resources locally abundant in your location (which for me, was the Netherlands).
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@@ -45,7 +46,7 @@ We are in a moment where more and more designers are starting to recognize the i
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@@ -45,7 +46,7 @@ We are in a moment where more and more designers are starting to recognize the i
Below is a discussion of a small selection from the current state of the art. This project is hugely indebted to each of them and the amazing work the people behind it have done. The critiques here come from a commitment to push the work further and extend the work others did before us. If you feel like your work should be acknowledged here or in the recipes, please contact me at l[dot]bogers[at]hva[dot]nl.
Below is a discussion of a small selection from the current state of the art. This project is hugely indebted to each of them and the amazing work the people behind it have done. The critiques here come from a commitment to push the work further and extend the work others did before us. If you feel like your work should be acknowledged here or in the recipes, please contact me at l[dot]bogers[at]hva[dot]nl.
###1. Classifying new materials
###1. Classifying "new natural" materials
**Material District**
**Material District**
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@@ -69,12 +70,12 @@ In parallel to the traditional materials families (wood, metals, etc) the MATto
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@@ -69,12 +70,12 @@ In parallel to the traditional materials families (wood, metals, etc) the MATto
*Phycisal forms and material families alongside one another, Screenshot from their website, 2020*
*Phycisal forms and material families alongside one another, Screenshot from their website, 2020*
###2. Physical Archives
###2. Physical Material Archives
**Tactile experience of materials**
**Tactile experience of materials**
The ways of categorizing and describing material samples listed above are useful and easy to implement in text-based databases. But can only give a limited feel for the aesthetics and tactility of a material.
The ways of categorizing and describing material samples listed above are useful and easy to implement in text-based databases. But can only give a limited feel for the aesthetics and tactility of a material.
The physical [Material Archive](https://viftrup.com/textilelab) developed at Textile Lab Waag, by Cecilia Raspanti and designed by Maria Viftrup and others from 2016 onwards continues to be one of the most effective ways of offering alternatives to designers. Not only because it offers visitors to meet the materials, and touch, smell and manipulate them, but it also allows them to take them home. Not in the sense that they can take the materials home, but because the recipe and technique to recreate the material is documented on the back of the label attached to the sample.
The physical [Material Archive](https://viftrup.com/textilelab) developed at Textile Lab Waag, by Cecilia Raspanti and designed by Maria Viftrup and others from 2016 onwards continues to be one of the most effective ways of offering alternatives to designers. Not only because it offers visitors to meet the materials, and touch, smell and manipulate them, but it also allows them to take them home. Not in the sense that they can take the materials home, but because the recipe and technique to recreate the material is documented on the back of the label attached to the sample. Of course the memory of the tactile experience fades in a way that photographs and words cannot recover. What might be other ways to document tactility?
<p><ahref="https://vimeo.com/243628535">Material Archive promo - by Maria Viftrup</a> from <ahref="https://vimeo.com/waagmakers">Makers of Waag</a> on <ahref="https://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>
<p><ahref="https://vimeo.com/243628535">Material Archive promo - by Maria Viftrup</a> from <ahref="https://vimeo.com/waagmakers">Makers of Waag</a> on <ahref="https://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>
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@@ -88,7 +89,7 @@ The [Institute of Making](https://www.instituteofmaking.org.uk/) at UCL London h
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@@ -88,7 +89,7 @@ The [Institute of Making](https://www.instituteofmaking.org.uk/) at UCL London h
It is difficult to separate the material from the form however. Most of the "materials" in this library are already *applied*. They have already taken shape as a functional object, which could make it challenging to disentangle the form and possible functions/shapes/forms. Also, this library contains a lot of materials that would be hard to impossible to recreate without specialist tools and knowledge.
It is difficult to separate the material from the form however. Most of the "materials" in this library are already *applied*. They have already taken shape as a functional object, which could make it challenging to disentangle the form and possible functions/shapes/forms. Also, this library contains a lot of materials that would be hard to impossible to recreate without specialist tools and knowledge.
###3. Open-access publications and renewable resources-only: Material Activism
###3. Renewable and DIY: Material Activism
We should also take note of the work other critical designers have done before in the realm of materials research & development. Many designers have develped their own versions of materials, and great applications for them in their design practice. And there are dozens of beautiful big books to showcase them. Although they may create *awareness* and inspiration when it comes to these approaches to design and materials, most often, the exact recipe or process is not disclosed. Even more problematic is that it is very common for a designer to use a crafts or heritage technique and presents it as though it has been their discovery, paying no credit to the cultural history such practices emerged from. Many of the techniques hailed as sustainable material innovatinos are in fact rediscovered old techniques.
We should also take note of the work other critical designers have done before in the realm of materials research & development. Many designers have develped their own versions of materials, and great applications for them in their design practice. And there are dozens of beautiful big books to showcase them. Although they may create *awareness* and inspiration when it comes to these approaches to design and materials, most often, the exact recipe or process is not disclosed. Even more problematic is that it is very common for a designer to use a crafts or heritage technique and presents it as though it has been their discovery, paying no credit to the cultural history such practices emerged from. Many of the techniques hailed as sustainable material innovatinos are in fact rediscovered old techniques.
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@@ -100,7 +101,7 @@ The DIY recipe book is a popular format which we also see in Clara Davis - [*The
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@@ -100,7 +101,7 @@ The DIY recipe book is a popular format which we also see in Clara Davis - [*The
Lastly, there seems to be a danger with such recipe books because they often take a narrow focus for the sake of clarity and coherence. As a historical parrallel: the "natural textile dyeing" books from the 1970s would celebrate and appreciate nature's splendor, while including heavy metals and toxic compounds as mordants in their recipes. In a similar way, we see that some recipe books eagerly consider renewable alternative to petrol-based plastics, but don't find it worth mentioning that animal-based products such as gelatine might be an issue as well.
Lastly, there seems to be a danger with such recipe books because they often take a narrow focus for the sake of clarity and coherence. As a historical parrallel: the "natural textile dyeing" books from the 1970s would celebrate and appreciate nature's splendor, while including heavy metals and toxic compounds as mordants in their recipes. In a similar way, we see that some recipe books eagerly consider renewable alternative to petrol-based plastics, but don't find it worth mentioning that animal-based products such as gelatine might be an issue as well.
###4. Collaborative databases: Materiom
###4. Collaborative databases
[Materiom](https://materiom.org/) is a great initiative that takes the open-source, DIY, renewable-only approach, and makes efforts to collect and present recipes in a beautifully designed environment that is accessible online. Users can add their own recipes so the archive can continue to grow. Beautiful photography makes these materials very appealing and desirable as a design material as well.
[Materiom](https://materiom.org/) is a great initiative that takes the open-source, DIY, renewable-only approach, and makes efforts to collect and present recipes in a beautifully designed environment that is accessible online. Users can add their own recipes so the archive can continue to grow. Beautiful photography makes these materials very appealing and desirable as a design material as well.
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@@ -109,7 +110,7 @@ In the same way that family recipes are contested, and cooks claim to have the "
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@@ -109,7 +110,7 @@ In the same way that family recipes are contested, and cooks claim to have the "
A platform like Materiom might also benefit from acknowledging more explicitly where these crafts practices are coming from, and taking a more critical stance as to when something is *more sustainable*. As no material is perfect or without issues, we need more concrete handles for assessing the ethics of using certain materials in particular context or applications. Expanding the amount and type of entry fields required when submitting a new recipe could potentially help the community of "material nerds" deepen their understanding of what they are working with, so material activism extends beyond the ecological, into the social, cultural, political, and technical.
A platform like Materiom might also benefit from acknowledging more explicitly where these crafts practices are coming from, and taking a more critical stance as to when something is *more sustainable*. As no material is perfect or without issues, we need more concrete handles for assessing the ethics of using certain materials in particular context or applications. Expanding the amount and type of entry fields required when submitting a new recipe could potentially help the community of "material nerds" deepen their understanding of what they are working with, so material activism extends beyond the ecological, into the social, cultural, political, and technical.
## Starting point: a Materials Manifesto
## Starting point: the New Natural Materials Manifesto
*This is a manifesto for the obsessively curious, the critical makers, the material nerds. By Loes Bogers, 2 April 2020*
*This is a manifesto for the obsessively curious, the critical makers, the material nerds. By Loes Bogers, 2 April 2020*
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@@ -136,6 +137,7 @@ A platform like Materiom might also benefit from acknowledging more explicitly w
-**Research Book Bioplastics** by Juliette Pepin, 2014, via issuu [link](https://issuu.com/juliettepepin/docs/bookletbioplastic)
-**Research Book Bioplastics** by Juliette Pepin, 2014, via issuu [link](https://issuu.com/juliettepepin/docs/bookletbioplastic)
-**The Secrets of Bioplastic** by Clara Davis (Fabtex, IAAC, Fab Lab Barcelona), 2017, [link](https://issuu.com/nat_arc/docs/the_secrets_of_bioplastic_).
-**The Secrets of Bioplastic** by Clara Davis (Fabtex, IAAC, Fab Lab Barcelona), 2017, [link](https://issuu.com/nat_arc/docs/the_secrets_of_bioplastic_).
-**The Bioplastics Cookbook: A Catalogue of Bioplastics Recipes** by Margaret Dunne for Fabtextiles, 2018, [link](https://issuu.com/nat_arc/docs/bioplastic_cook_book_3)
-**The Bioplastics Cookbook: A Catalogue of Bioplastics Recipes** by Margaret Dunne for Fabtextiles, 2018, [link](https://issuu.com/nat_arc/docs/bioplastic_cook_book_3)
-**DAMADEI: Design & Advanced Materials as a Driver of European Innovation**, by Damadei project committee, funded by the European Commission, 2013.
