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MATERIAL FUTURES
We do not know what the future holds. We live in extreme times, from mass global migration to radical shifts in the world’s superpowers, we are witnessing seismic changes to the way we live, work and survive, both as individuals and as citizens. As our current systems of managing and tackling these changes seem outdated and unreliable, as designers it is our responsibility to look beyond the conventional and probe, question and explore how we can, should or want to shape the future. Through taking risks, crossing boundaries and collaborating with other disciplines this year’s graduates have done just that... from birth control to institutional racism and from meat-eating to tissue engineering, students have explored the moral, social, environmental and ethical implications of how our actions today could drastically impact the way we live tomorrow. As a course, it is our philosophy that despite these chaotic and often complex times we find ourselves in, by critically engaging with experts and embracing new fields outside of our own, we can be optimistic about the future, challenging existing preconceptions and instead contributing to biological, environmental, technological, political and social change. The work presented at this years show is also just the beginning for our graduates, as they join an ever-expanding network of successful designers and practitioners from the Material Futures programme that are paving the way in proposing new, more sustainable alternatives to the uncertain and unpredictable challenges of the 21st century. However, we did not do this alone. To all the practitioners, visiting lecturers, experts and technicians that have contributed to making this year’s projects a success, thank you.
Kieren Jones Course Leader & Senior Lecturer www.materialfutures.com
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The intersection of craft, science and technology
The Programme Material Futures is a two-year Masters course at Central Saint Martins College of Art & Design, dedicated to exploring how we will live in the future. By taking materiality as our starting point of the design process we explore emerging sciences and technologies, new processes and materials as well as current trends and behavioural insights to generate new design scenarios, speculations, artefacts and applications that will help contribute to a more sustainable tomorrow.
Our aim is to actively re-think the future. Through collaboration, risk-taking and blurring the boundaries between craft, science and technology we aim to look beyond existing boundaries to anticipate our future needs, desires and challenges for the 21st century.
We encourage a wholly multi-disciplinary approach to design. Taking materiality as the starting point of the design process, literally the things we can touch, feel, interact with and observe, we integrate high and low technological materials and processes to respond to the environment around us. Our students explore and come from a diverse range of disciplines, mostly, but not limited to, the worlds of fashion, architecture, industrial, communication, textile, critical, digital and speculative design.
Research is intrinsic to our design process. We practice research-driven design. We believe that it is only by observing and analysing how we live today that we can begin to consider and explore how we can live more sustainably tomorrow. Considering the current and future context of design decisions is key to our ethos, combining social, political, scientific and economic inquiry and insights to help inform future design scenarios and speculations.
www.materialfutures.com
Some of the key themes we interrogate include trend forecasting and future insights, future crafts and materials, the convergence of science and design and smart or inter-active materials. The course is divided into two units across two years. Unit 1 offers an intensive and reactive learning experience whereby students are exposed to a broad variety of new ideas and technical processes through a combination of workshops, lectures, expert collaborations and individual project briefs. Providing a bombardment of new ideas, processes and skills, students are encouraged to deconstruct their previous experience and expertise and instead adopt an open, experimental and multi-disciplinary approach to design. We value working with industrial partners and usually incorporate at least one live project in Unit 1. Unit 2 is designed to allow students to reflect on their experiences within Unit 1 and consider their own design agenda and desired role within the creative industries. By combining the new processes and methodologies introduced to them in Unit 1, as well as their previous skills and experience, students formulate a single project proposal. All Unit 2 projects are directed by a single research question, driven by the students personal definition of Material Futures in the context of a more sustainable future. Collaboration is key to Unit 2 and all students pursue external support from established practitioners and experts to help validate and strengthen their final projects. As you will see in this year’s projects, the rich breadth of work created spans the entire spectrum of materiality, from low-tech analogue craft processes to high-tech, smart and interactive technologies.
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NE W S & GR A DUAT E SU C C ESSES
award for excellence and this year Nelly was amongst the winners proving once again that Material Futures is one of the best courses at Central Saint Martins! Nelly has been with us for three years now and her relentless passion for the course, its students and the advancement of material research has paid off! Well done! Fa r e w e ll C a r o l i n e T i ll We are very sad to say goodbye to Course Leader, Caroline Till who leaves us this year to concentrate on her studio FranklinTill and juggle life with her new baby, Phoebe. Caroline has been an integral part of the course for the past six years and has spearheaded the recent transition from Textile Futures to Material Futures. Caroline’s enthusiasm, energy and extensive knowledge of trend forecasting has been invaluable to the course and she will be sorely missed. Luckily Caroline has assured us she is happy to come back as a guest tutor and lecturer so we are sure we haven’t seen the last of her yet! Caroline we wish you the best of luck in the future. Thank you.
G o o d By e A n n e - M a r i e C Omma n d e u r … Material Futures External Examiner After four years as External Examiner for Material Futures, we say goodbye to Dutch trend analyst, Anne-Marie Commandeur. Our external examiners work with us to ensure the high quality of the course and Anne-Marie has been invaluable, offering us feedback and critique along the way. We have thoroughly enjoyed working with her and hope that she remains involved with the course as it continues to evolve.
W e lov e yo u N e lly Congratulations to our First Year Leader, Nelly Ben Hayoun who has won a 2016 UAL Teaching Award. Each year the Students’ Union nominates inspirational educators and honours them with a teaching
We are pleased to welcome designer and researcher, Julia Lohmann as our new External Examiner. Julia’s work investigates and critiques the ethical and material value systems underpinning our relationship with flora and fauna. She is Professor for Design at the University of Fine Arts, Hamburg, runs her own practice in London and has established the Department of Seaweed, a transdisciplinary community exploring the marine plant’s potential as a design material. Her skills are a perfect match for our course and we look forward to working with her over the next four years.
… H e llo J u l i a Lo hma n n ! Our new Material Futures External Examiner
T h e W e s L u n n Sch o la r s h i p P r o g r amm e New Scholarships for Material Futures Students We are delighted to announce that we will be working with the Wes Lunn Design and Education Trust in 2016/17 to offer two scholarships to students from the UK or the EU who wish to study on Material Futures. These fully funded places enable students to undertake our Masters course for two years. With the increase in tuition fees making access to higher education increasingly difficult we believe these scholarships could not have come at a more pertinent and important time. We are welcoming applications now so please contact us if you wish to receive further information. www.materialfutures.com www.arts.ac.uk/csm/courses/ postgraduate/ma-material-futures
Zuzana Gombosova spoke at TEDx Bratislava about her work involving printing with bacteria. Zuzana’s work explores the intersection between biotechnology and 3D printing.
M a r l e n e Hu i ssoud will be exhibiting as part of ‘A Future Made’ at Design Miami/Basel curated by the Crafts Council and The New Craftsmen Gallery. Each maker has developed radical new techniques to create objects of wonder using substances like wood, sand, salt, clay, flowers and ice.
Natsai audrey will be showing her new body of work that includes biological printmaking at Biofabricate as part of Faber Futures at this year’s Design Lab. The conference showcases leading designers, engineers, scientists and ventures who are at the forefront of making potential future industrial and consumer products that are grown from living systems.
S ab r i n a K r aus Lop e z has started Ode to A together with collaborator Noëlle Maxine Tierie. Ode to A partners with cooperatives and local artisans in traditional societies around the world to create limited edition pieces for sale. You can visit their site ode-to-a. com now!
Y e s e n i a T h i bau l t P i cazo was part of the Design Undefined, a show curated by Ma-tt-er at this year’s Clerkenwell Design Week. Over three days, the specially created design space hosted hands-on workshops and events exploring blurred boundaries in design and the fruits of interdisciplinary creativity.
A m y C o n g do n ’s work went on show as part of Coded Couture at the Pratt Gallery in New York. The Coded Couture exhibition included garments, jewellery and shoes fitted with technologies such as speech recognition sensors and heartbeat monitors, and created with methods ranging from 3D printing to hand-embroidery.
E l a i n e Ya n g L i n g N g has developed her Sundew project for Swarovski at Art Central in Hong Kong. The multisensory series of sound-activated sculptures – resembling carnivorous plants are made of handcrafted textiles and mimics the opening and closing of the sundew plant’s tentacles, as it closes in on its prey.
Carole Collet, our Professor in Design for Sustainable Futures and Director of the Design & Living Systems Lab, launched the new Biosalon, a series of collaborations and round table discussions exploring the potential of Bio-design in the future. Keep up to date on what they are up to by visiting the Material Futures website.
D aw n B e n d i c k (formerly Haleta) showcased her new work ‘Metapmorphic Vessels’ at Mint Shop in the Brompton Design District during the London Design Festival. This new work builds
upon the themes of Dawn’s previous work Time Over Time, a series of architectural relics and rocks cast in dichroic glass. Using a lost-wax casting technique, in this new body of work the rock becomes the inner core encapsulated in an organic yet smooth exterior form.
Ro i s i n J o h n s was shown as part of the EXTRA ORDINARY exhibition at The Aram Gallery, Drury Lane, London. The exhibition featured new designers working with ordinary materials, products or processes in extraordinary ways.
J e n n y L e e has published a new book entitled Material Alchemy, showcasing the most innovative, thought-provoking design approaches to materials from the 21st century. Bringing together work from the fields of science, technology, and design this book showcases new responses to material innovation and provides key insights into how material will be utilised to shape our future environments.
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P RO J E C T S & WOR K S H O P S
F u t u r e Raw
Imm e r s i v e F i lm & St y l i n g Wo r k s h o p with Artist and Designer Bart Hess During our Evolving Beauty project, we invited Bart Hess to run an immersive film and styling workshop for our students. An expert in material making and styling, Bart helped the students make their concepts a reality. Please check the Material Futures website for more information and a short teaser of the final films.
E vo lv i n g B e au t y Our 2016 Client Project Together with students from the MA Narrative Environments course here at CSM, our first year students were asked to research and develop a series of works that explored and responded to the notion of ‘future beauty’. Sponsored entirely by Value Retail, we worked with Ralph Appelbaum Associates and SaltTV to create a series of short films that were exhibited alongside recent graduate works inside the YiHaus Space, a brand new fashion gallery that is part of the new YiHaus fashion village in Shanghai.
M i la n F u r n i t u r e Fa i r 2 0 1 6 Each year we take our final graduating students to exhibit at the Milan Furniture Fair. This year, in the heart of the Lambrate design district, we produced our largest exhibition to date, 1700 square feet at Ventura 14. This year saw in excess of 100,000 visitors and almost 2,000 design journalists, many of whom featured our student’s work in their various publications, sites and blogs.
Clemence Winkler and a whole host of visiting lecturers including Frederik De Wilde, our students imagined what would happen when we can design from the atom level up.
We believe in research and making, which is why, for our first brief of the year we asked our students to identify a single raw material and fully understand it. From its scientific cellular structure to it’s economic, historical and political implications. We asked the students to become experts in every aspect of the material before speculating, experimenting and eventually crafting with it. To coincide with the project, designer Lola Lely and recent graduate Yesenia ThibaultPicaso became not only guest tutors, but also ran a local manufacturing expedition around the industries supporting London’s East End.
G r e e n h o u s e Ea rth F u t u r e B e au t y Sy mp o s i u m What happens when fashion, science and technology collide? To kick off our client project, we curated a day-long symposium with some of the most progressive names working within the fields of science, technology and fashion. These included Jonathan Chippendale from Holition London, Professor Kevin Warwick, Lauren Bowker at the Unseen and designers, Lucy McRae and Mortiz Valdemeier. We would like to thank all our speakers for a fascinating and thought-provoking day and extend a special note of thanks to SaltTV and Film-maker Leandro Santini who collaborated with us for the duration of the project.
M at e r i al E x p e d i t i o n 2 0 1 6 We believe in making, which is why, on a cold Octobers morning, we left London behind for the wild hills of the Brecon Beacon National Park in Wales and introduced our students to the ancient crafts of bodging and willow working. Not content in 2015 by asking them to construct their own shelter from scratch, this years expedition challenged them to construct an eight-man boat and sail across the infamous ‘Punch bowl’ lagoon. Needless to say, the project was a great success… well, almost!
D e s i g n i n g th e I n v i s i bl e “Imagine something so small that it’s a million times smaller than the length of an ant. Then consider the ability to manipulate something that small to solve problems and create new products. Welcome to the world of nanotechnology.” www.nano.gov/nanotech This is exactly what we asked our first year students to consider and explore in their Nano-technology brief this year. With hands-on material exploration workshops with
Scientists have been sending alarm bells for more then 20 years. Our climate is radically changing. From serious droughts and freak torrential rain, to mass global migration and global crop shortages, an increase of just 4 degrees could have devastating consequences on our environment and the way in which we live our lives. With this in mind, Material Futures Research Leader, Professor Carole Collet asked our students to design for an increasing volatile and warmer future. With contributions from the national Met office and Alexander Rose at The Long Now Foundation, as well as talks by Riya Patel and Michael Saunby, the project culminated in an open crit and public showcase in Central Saint Martins.
P r act i t i o n e r i n R e s i d e n c e Material Futures welcomes Nancy Tilbury Following the success of last years residency with Neil Harbisson, the World’s first Cyborg, we are pleased to announce that this years exciting new Practitioner in Residence will be Nancy Tilbury of Studio XO. A pioneer within the world of fashion and technology, Nancy sits at the crossroads of the physical-digital, fusing the synthetic with the real. We look forward to collaborating with her on her no doubt extraordinary residency.
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From all the team here at Material Futures, we would like to thank everyone who has collaborated and contributed to the course and made it a success in 2016 : Ann-Kristin Abel, Attua Aparicio, Stella Arman, Patricia Austin, Marcus Bastel, Dawn Bendick, David Benque, Lou Blackshaw, Lauren Bowker, David Chatting, Jonathan Chippindale, Jake Clark-Darby, Amy Congdon, Kate Davies, Frederik De Wilde, Joss Debae, Tony Dunne, Daniel Fagerson, Paul Ferragut, Ruari Glynn, Kate Goldsworthy, Laura Gordon, Jean-Cesar Minoru Harada, Neil Harbisson, Harriet Hawkins, Bart Hess, Gavin Howells, Arthur Kay, Rob Kesseler, Lola Lely, Dan Manning, Tom Mannion, Lucy McRae, Andy Miah, Inigo Minns, Pau Munoz, Alexandra MurrayLeslie, Nicolas Myers, Sara Nouman, Zoe Papadopoulou, Raiya Patel, Sarah Pugh, Kendall Robbins, Alexander Rose, Julia Rush, Marta Santambrogio, Leandro Santini, Michael Saunby, Adam Sharp, Patrick Stevenson-Keating, Yuri Suzuki, Rashida Tang-Campbell, Tracey Taylor, Philiip Tefft, Marioes Ten Bhomer, The Long Now Foundation, Yesenia Thibault Picazo, Kim Thome, Nancy Tilbury, Guido Tosi, Hsiao-Chi Tsai,Rosanna Vitiello, Oliver Wainwright, Mortiz Waldemeyer, Brendan Walker, Kevin Warwick, Clemens Winkler, Bethan Wood
T H E GR A DUAT ES
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Anne Vaandrager
InĂŞs Marques
Niloufar Esfandiary
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Apilada Vorachart
Katy Shand
Pamm Hong
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Audrey Speyer
Laduma Ngxokolo
Phoebe Quare
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Benedetta Martino
Lesley-Ann Daly
Sanne Visser
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Bonnie Pierre-Davis
Liza Mackenzie
Tina Gorjanc
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Catherine Michelle Baranda
Manuel Thiessart
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Maritta Nemsadze
Ying Shen
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Mi Zhang
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Nicky Vu
Zannah Cooper
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Charlotte Nordmoen 38
Giulia Tomasello 42
www.materialfutures.com
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Independent Labour A home birth box that supports independent labour How will privatisation of the NHS affect childbirth? The UK government wants to privatise the National Health Service. By offering external private companies the opportunity to take contracts and manage key healthcare services within the NHS, we are slowly seeing the NHS turn from an entirely publicly funded institution to a more privatised model. Undermining and weakening the NHS means that basic health care services in the UK face a very uncertain future. If the NHS is to become fully privatised, people will be denied free health care and will have to begin contributing or paying for key health services or long-term insurance policies. Each year around 700,000 babies are born in the UK. An uncomplicated birth in the UK costs the NHS ÂŁ3,000. If the NHS collapsed, and there was no state support to help cover these expenses, as is the case in many other countries, what would this mean for people who have no other alternative but to give birth completely independently at home? ‘Independent Labour’ explores this future scenario and creates an alternative by providing a Birth Box with all the instruments and instructions you need to fully prepare and give birth unaided at home.
INDEPENDENT LABOUR does not take the privatised system for granted, being sceptical about the current situation and questions the future scenario of healthcare.
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C O L L A B OR ATORS Joseluis Barquero and Sarah Kameela Impey, Actors Lisa Mandemaker, Video Assistance
EX P ERT S Eleanor May-Johnson, Director Neighbourhood Midwives Ltd
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From Chiang Mai Reducing air pollution in rural Thailand by encouraging the use of corn waste post harvesting How to reduce air pollution by increasing the value of corn waste post harvesting? Burning corn waste (corn husks and cobs) is a common farming practice in Chiang Mai, Northern Thailand. It is the cause of an annual haze effect, an atmospheric condition where particles, smoke, dust and moisture suspend in the air obscuring visibility and causing long term damage to both the environment and the health of those people who live within it. This project aims to reduce or eliminate the problem by developing economically attractive uses for the corn waste with an emphasis on environmentally sustainable practices and traditional craft skills whilst providing the economic and social benefits for local families and communities. From Chiang Mai is a design proposal that uses corn husk fibres to manufacture panels that can be used in local construction for sound and thermal insulation. Charcoal from corn cobs can be added to give smell and moisture absorption qualities. These panels should facilitate improved standards of habitation and provide additional income for local families whilst mitigating against the haze effect.
“…Such malpractice is particularly common in low-income countries, where inadequate amounts of residues are recycled
while unacceptably large amounts of straws and stalks are burned, either in the fields or as household fuel.”
Smil, V. (1999) Crop residues: Agriculture’s largest harvest, BioScience
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C O L L A B OR ATORS Rungrada Tila, Cooperator, Teacher at Rajaprajanugroh 31 School, Chiang Mai, Thailand
Witchaya Vorachart, Videographer, Thailand Kain Leo, Puppet maker and visual storyteller, UK
EX P ERT S Dr. Suchon Tangtaweewipat, Associate Professor, Chiang Mai University, Thailand Dr. Permsak Supapornhemin, Researcher, Thai Ministry of Agriculture, Thailand
Vijit Yeenang, President of the handicraft and mulberry paper making collective, Chiang Mai, Thailand
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Purifungi A living aid kit for the earth How can natural organisms help eradicate industrial pollutants? Since the Industrial Revolution, we have caused immeasurable damage to our earth. Many of the industries that we have come to rely on for everyday products and services are extremely detrimental to the environment and cause widespread contamination and industrial pollutants. This waste seeps into the earth and means that very little can grow on or populate on the infected earth. However, recent research has shown that certain types of fungi are not only able to grow in such areas, but also have the ability to track, catch and store industrial pollutants in its fruit, in many cases completely removing it from the soil altogether. In this research project, I propose how fungi could be nurtured, grown and then harvested to help transform industrial wastelands by removing contaminants, such as diesel and oil from our earth. Purifungi is a completely biodegradable aid kit that can be deployed in such areas by anyone wishing to remove toxic waste and return the earth to full health.
“A pile of dieselcontaminated soil under attack by oyster mushrooms. Some of the mushrooms reached mammoth sizes, a testimonial to the nutrition they found in the petrochemicals.
Near the end of the trial, as the mushrooms rotted away, plants appeared. Our pile regreened, becoming an oasis of life, while the other piles remained lifeless.�
Paul Stamets (2004) Mycelium Running: A guide to healing the planet through gardening with gourmet and medicinal mushrooms, New York Random House Publishing
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C O L L A B OR ATORS Tom Mannion, Photographer, Studio Tom Mannion, London Lou Blackshaw, Photographer, Studio Lou Blackshaw, London Vicente Mateu, Photographer, Mateu Gallery, London
Krisztina Kovacs-Schreiner, Business and Project Development Manager, Biome Bioplastics, Southampton, UK Laura Gallo, Mushrooms producer from coffee waste, Fungo Box collaborating with Lavazza and Novamont, Milano, IT
EX P ERT S Lee Davies, Fungarium Collections Assistant, Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, Richmond, UK John Robinson, Company director, Microscience Laboratory, County Durham, UK Leslie Atzmon, Professor, Graphic Design and Design History, Cambridge, UK
Robert Kesseler, UAL professor Art Design Science, London, UK Heather Risher and Loni Jean, Fungi Perfecti, Olympia, USA Philippe Silar, Institute of Genetics and Microbiology researcher, CNRS, UniversitĂŠ Paris Diderot, Sorbonne, Paris, Institut des Energies de Demain, Paris, FR
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Daily Fetish Facilitating fetish experiences in everyday situations Can fetish behaviours be incorporated into our everyday lives to release tensions, satisfy our emotional needs and become accepted by society? Fetish evokes the feeling of a desperate attraction and an uncontrollable desire for something tangible: a situation, an object or a gesture that helps satisfy our deep-rooted emotional needs. The value of fetish is that it allows us to escape from the pressures of our everyday lives, providing a powerful release of our anxieties and emotional and instinctual needs. My project explores how we can harness the power and potential of fetish through daily acts such as cooking. By observing and researching existing, more established fetish practices, such as the Japanese art of Shibari, I have distilled the essence of these practices and applied and incorporated them into specific gastronomic recipes and experiences that I hope will allow a moment of escape for the user. By ‘normalising’ these ‘strange’ behaviours, I hope to change people’s perceptions of such practices and instead see the value and potential of introducing them into our lives to release tensions, reduce stress and achieve a new state of satisfaction.
“the world of kink and fetish is built around ideas of power, control and gender – not that different to our relationships with everyday objects”
Jacob, S. (2015) Opinion: Sam Jacob on kink, fetish and design, Dezeen
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C O L L A B OR ATORS Alex Caroppi, Film Maker Letizia Toscano, Photographer Simona Gobbi Art, Performer
“Kink’s unflinching and sometimes uncomfortable relationship to desire has much to teach mainstream design culture. It tells us that our relationship with objects is not purely aesthetic but shows instead how aesthetics can be a way of interrogating and exploring the significance of objects.” Jacob, S. (2015) Opinion: Sam Jacob on kink, fetish and design, Dezeen
EX P ERT S DrFatso, Helen a shibari teacher at Anatomie Studio London, Est London Strippers Collective
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What is Golden? Encouraging Afghan farmers to grow saffron as an alternative to opium Afghanistan is a country of strong traditions, with natural beauty and a rich cultural heritage, however, unfortunately, it is also the worlds largest producer of opium. “The country produces 90% of the world’s supply of heroin, a narcotic drug taken from unripened poppy-seed pods” (O’Connell, 2015). Encouraging farmers to grow alternative, equally lucrative crops, I believe would help stabilise the countries long-term economy and slowly begin to lead the local population out of poverty and towards long-term prosperity. Saffron, a legal, ethical and safer crop, is made from the saffron flower, Crocus Sativus L. Saffron and is the world’s most expensive spice, it’s price often exceeding that of gold. Traditionally saffron was used as a paint or colour dye for textiles, however, these days it is used in small amounts primarily in the food industry, or more recently, in pharmaceutical research. By combining local crafts, materials and traditions, I have created new luxury artefacts that celebrate Saffron, both as a natural dye and as a raw material. These artefacts act as a vehicle to encourage Afghan farmers to stop growing opium and instead diversify to the more lucrative Saffron. “There are 2.9million [heroin] users in the country, out of which only 10% of addicts receive drug treatment, because programs are rare and underfunded”
Chawla, S., Pietschmann, T., Pichon, T., Nathwani, A., Thomas, J and Tullis, M. (2003) United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime: The Opium economy in Afghanistan. An International Problem
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EX P ERT S David Smale, Saffron Farmer, Essex
Jim. B, Leather Specialist, JT Batchelors
Kim Walker, Medical Herbalist & Researcher, London
Lisa McConiffe, Accessories Designer, London
Sally Francis, Saffron Farmer, Norfolk
Leanne Lu, Fashion Designer, London
Craig Borough, Librarian, Kew Gardens Library
Geraldine Poore, Basket Maker/Basket Twining, Welwyn Garden City
Sophie. S, Handweaver and Yarn Experts, Handweavers Association Studio and Gallery
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So Black and Blue Creating catalysts for empathy and understanding around systematic prejudice in marginalised societies How can hand crafted artefacts be used as tools to facilitate dialogue around crucial social topics? ‘So Black and Blue’ looks at the treatment of citizens from marginalised communities and the systemic prejudices ingrained within our current culture. This project explores how hand crafted artefacts, storytelling, and roleplaying can be used as materials to help assist discussion around difficult social topics. My character, Robert, is from an impoverished neighbourhood in Houston Texas. His personal connection to police corruption helps viewers build a better understanding of systematic prejudice. Through storytelling and role playing, the participant leaves the experience with an acute notion of how it is to live as another person and has a greater understanding for their condition. By using children’s hand crafted artefacts the viewer is encouraged to view racial problems through a child-like lens. By fostering empathy and compassion we can disrupt current police culture by demanding change from the bottom up.
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“The juxtaposition of children’s artefacts with brutality evokes an absurdity to police aggression. This challenges the current police practices by creating an ethical spectacle which endeavors to persuade the audience towards a more progressive set of values” Duncombe [2012)
EX P ERT S Robert Maxwell, supervisor, Rise2Success Foods
Capt Palmer, Dept OC Critical Care RCDM , British Army
Adam Thorpe, co-director, Design Against Crime
Graham Charlton, president, Finchley Game Club
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humanMADE A thought experiment exploring the role of humans in an increasingly automated world What will the nature of work be when most jobs are performed by machines? The Bank of England’s chief economist predicts that half the UK labour market could be automated within the next 20 years. Most experts agree that there are certain human qualities, like creativity, intuition and interpersonal skills that would be difficult to recreate in a machine and therefore roles that require these skills would seemingly be safe from automation. By using machine learning and a genetic algorithm I have created a robot designer that generates new pottery designs. An industrial robot arm throws the designs on a pottery wheel using a silicon human ‘finger’, thereby eliminating the need for the ‘human touch’. The human’s role in the production is demoted to menial tasks such as preparing and carrying clay and maintaining the machines. The project aims to go beyond the practical aspect of technological unemployment and to ask what happens if a robot takes on the role of an artisan? What does that mean for our notion of craft as something unique and handmade, in opposition to machine-made? What does artificial intelligence mean for design and authorship? Can machines ever truly replace us?
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“What we forget is that our machines are built by our own hands. When we transfer work to a machine, we don’t eliminate human agency and its potential for error. We transfer that agency into the machine’s workings...” Nicholas Carr (2015) Why robots will always need us
C O L L A B OR ATORS Robotics group, community run makerspace, London Hackspace, London Matt Hogbin, Hackspace member
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Future Flora Celebrating female biophilia How can we celebrate the symbiotic relationship between the human body and its microbiome? Of the human body, 90% is composed of different microorganisms, most of which are beneficial to their host. Microbes, bacteria, fungi and viruses are all part of our natural skin flora, covering both the inner and outer surfaces of our body. Even though they are invisible to our eyes, our micro-flora has a symbiotic relationship with the interface between our body and the environment — our skin. However, due to the extensive use of chemical based washing soaps and cleansers, we are no longer removing simply bad bacteria from our bodies, but also stripping it of the beneficial ones. This means we are more susceptible and vulnerable to future infections and viruses. Future Flora is a living culture pad that helps women to balance their own vaginal flora to help prevent and treat the common Candida infection. The kit has been designed to allow women to establish, nurture and harvest their very own personal skin flora at home, becoming not only consumers but also active participants in their own health and well-being.
“I predict that the domestication of biotechnology will dominate our lives during the next fifty years at least as much as the domestication of computers has dominated our lives during the previous fifty years.� Freeman Dyson [2007] Our biotech future
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C O L L A B OR ATORS Ariana Mirzarafie-Ahi, PhD - University College of London, UCL - BBSRC London Interdisciplinary Biosciences PhD Consortium - Webmaster at The A Level Biologist
HealthTech Women Community, HealthTech Women - London
BioHacking Community, London Biohackspace - London Biological Laboratories
Tom Mannion, Photographer, Studio Tom Mannion London
Joao Braganca Gil, MAID student - Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts London
Lou Blackshaw, Set Designer, Lou Blackshaw Studios London
EX P ERT S Dr Vitor Bernardes Pinheiro, Microbiologist - University College of London, UCL at the Department of Structural and Molecular Biology - ISMB Lectureship in Synthetic Biology
Ariana Mirzarafie-Ahi, PhD - University College of London, UCL - BBSRC London Interdisciplinary Biosciences PhD Consortium - Webmaster at The A Level Biologist
Dr. Sanjib Bhakta, Microbiologist - Director of Mycobacteria Research Laboratory at the Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Birkbeck, University of London and UCL Reader in Molecular Microbiology
Carole Collet, Professor in Design for Sustainable Futures Director Design & Living Systems Lab - Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts London
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Sea-Meat Seaweed Replicating the culture of meat keeping and meat eating in a post-meat world Eating meat is not sustainable or healthy, however there is a whole culture behind rearing, processing, and cooking meat that would be lost if we suddenly stopped eating it. My project aims to look at the industry behind pig meat, to dissect it and replicate it with the Dulse seaweed. Dulse grows along the Pacific and Atlantic coastlines, and when fried tastes like bacon. My objective is to use Dulse as a communicative tool for the project, by weaving a narrative that follows the production of the seaweed from farming to consumption. The emphasis is to keep the rich culture behind meat production that is ingrained in our society alive, by preserving the theatrics of the trade vocations (farmer, slaughterer, butcher), using an alternative to meat. I have designed the infrastructure of a transitional culture that exists in a post-meat world, which engages in the social sustainability of meat production. There is already a system in place created for the way we consume meat, and this project exploits that language, aesthetics and semiotics with a moral and environmentally sustainable compass. The objective is to point out the collective social values and innate behaviours tied to the skills around meat production that would be jeopardised in a post-meat world, to ensure their adaptive proliferation.
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C O L L A B OR ATORS Andre Pereira, Butcher, Turner & George, Meat Merchants of London Tom Mannion, Photographer, Studio Tom Mannion London Lou Blackshaw, Stylist, Studio Lou Blackshaw, London Hung-Chun Wang, Videographer, Hung-Chun Wang Studio, London
Sara Abusaleh, Photography, Architectural Association, London Niloufar Esfandiary, Photography, Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts London’ Johnathan Shillingford, Model, Architectural Association, London
Phebe Wu, Videographer, Phew Professional Makeup and Hair Studio Ltd, London
EX P ERT S Andre Pereira, Butcher, Turner & George, Meat Merchants Fahad Al Rushaid, Business Owner, Mr. Cleavers, Kuwait Pawel Maciag, Chef, 20 Fenchurch Street, London
“Cattle farming produces more CO2 gas than driving cars. Livestock production is one of the most significant contributors to today’s most severe environmental problems” Food & Agriculture Organisation : Livestock, A major threat to environment (2008)
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www.inesfmarques.berta.me inesferreiramarques@gmail.com
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Post-fishing A socially sustainable project enabling fishermen to re-balance and replenish the ocean ecosystem How can local sardine fishermen become more sustainable and support the wider ocean ecosystem? Sardines are key to the Portuguese diet and account for the majority of the fish trawled and pulled up by small-scale, local fishing fleets. However, decreasing sardine stocks caused by overfishing and depleting phytoplankton, the primary diet of these small fish, combined with decreasing EU quotas that dictate how much fish local fishermen can catch, means that fishermen across the coast of Portugal are not able to survive economically. Phytoplankton are the foundation of the aquatic food chain and support almost all life forms in the ocean, from zooplankton to multi-ton whales. However, deep sea trawling in pursuit of these sardines has been detrimental to the ocean bed, destroying much of the natural habitat that supports phytoplankton as well as protect young sardines. In this project I propose that fishermen become custodians of the sea, not only taking but also giving back. By developing a local, sustainable system of growing and nurturing phytoplankton I hope to encourage Portuguese fisherman to release 20 litres of phytoplankton for every 20 kilos of sardines they catch daily. This is enough to replenish and support the amount of plankton that these fish will consume each day, contributing to a more holistic approach of caring and giving back to the ocean what we take from it. “Without intervention it is likely that our current generation will be the last that will be able to eat wild-caught fish.”
Gaia Vince, How the world’s oceans could be running out of fish, BBC
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“In order to sustain 20kgs of sardines -the amount ICES permits small-scale Portuguese fishermen to catch daily - at least 20 litres of phytoplankton must be released back into the ocean”
ICES is the EU Intergovernmental organisation that explores the seas and delimitates the quotas for the fishing industry.
EX P ERT S Manuel Urbano, fishermen, Sesimbra, Portugal Goodwin Gibbins, Phd Mathematics of Planet Earth, Imperial College London Hélio Rasteiro, Management Consultancy, Portugal Marine
Award 2015 with his essay “Estratégia Nacional para o Mar 2006-2016” [ “Nacional Strategy for the sea 2006 - 2016” ] Dr Will Goodall - Copestake, Population Geneticist, British Antarctic Survey (NERC)
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www.katyshand.com katy@katyshand.com
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Other Us: SOLAS A future independent state Can artefacts provoke discussion about future global migration? The UN estimates that more than 250 million people could be displaced by climate change by 2050. In the context of increased migration and ‘statelessness’, Other Us is an exploration of the formation and survival of a future independent nation. In the second half of the 21st century humans have ventured onto the oceans to live in floating island habitations. Solas is a raft state located in the North Atlantic. The project explores the process of building a state and gaining the recognition required for long-term economic and legal survival. An established criteria for statehood, defined territory, permanent population, government, and capacity to enter into relations with other states is used as a framework to create tangible future artefacts. Rather than the practical survival aspects of life on an artificial island, the project instead aims to look at the long term priorities and financial incentives. It is a critical exploration of the implications of marginalising and isolating displaced people.
“The state as a person of international law should possess the following qualifications: (a) a permanent population; (b) a defined territory; (c) government; and (d) capacity to enter into relations with other states.” The Montevideo Convention on The Rights and Duties of States [1933]
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C O L L A B OR ATORS Oliver Betts, Photography Assistant (at sea)
“Our planet is becoming an increasingly borderless place, where national boundaries matter little to the movement of goods and investment� Dr Nick Middleton, Oxford University, 2015
EX P ERT S Clare Moseley, Founder, Calais Refugee Crisis Charity, France Sara Lamont LLM, Product Officer, The Royal Bank of Scotland, The Netherlands Jim Moser, CMS: Law & Tax, Glasgow
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laduma@maxhosa.co.za
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Safer Xhosa circumcision Hygienic and safe medical kits designed to confront health concerns of the traditional Xhosa circumcision ritual How can the dangers surrounding the Xhosa male circumcision ritual be made safer? According to statistics from the South African Government, a total of 969 deaths have been recorded since 1995 due to health complications that have occurred as a result of the ‘manhood circumcision’ practiced by the Xhosa people of South Africa. The Xhosa manhood circumcision initiation is an ancient ritual that has been practiced by the Xhosa for centuries. The ritual is intended as a teaching institution to prepare boys for manhood responsibilities. Given the ritualistic significance of the Xhosa circumcision process, the current method is extremely primitive and often neglects any sort of modern medical practice that could aid in the healing process. Because of this, hundreds of young men suffer severe complications as a direct result of this ritual and die from their injuries each year. The aim of this project is to confront the health concerns of Xhosa circumcision by introducing hygienic and safer medical interventions that are packaged and designed in a manner that is culturally relevant and safe, hopefully leading to contemporary health care being accepted by the Xhosa and embedded in their traditional practice.
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“Since 1995, 969 Xhosa boys have lost their lives in the Eastern Cape and many others were mutilated or lost their penises due to complications during traditional manhood circumcision� Dr Dingeman Rijken (2013)
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www.lesleyanndaly.com lesleyann.m.daly@gmail.com
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Anthropomorphic Sensory Augmentation Enabling an audible perception of your internal health How will the integration of Sensory Augmentation Devices change how we live? We perceive the world by interpreting sensory information: sight, hearing, touch, taste and smell. Human modification technology is developing alongside a growing interest in expanding the senses, generating new devices that push the limits of human perception. With the rise in popularity of wearable technology people are becoming more interested in understanding the health and fitness of their body. Developments in science and technology have enabled tracking devices to become smaller, more accurate and able to be implanted into your body. What if you could extend your sense of hearing so that you can hear your body, allowing you to have a more intuitive, real time knowledge of your health and wellbeing? Ultrasonic Intra-Body Communication enhances your sense of hearing. This enables you to hear numerous devices that are implanted in the body, which are tracking and communicating your physiological health data. By appropriating the intuitive qualities of sound, this communication method allows for a more visceral connection to the information and therefore the body.
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C O L L A B OR ATORS Voicedrone, DJ, London
“the extension of any one sense alters the way that we think and act - the way that we perceive the world…..when these ratios change, men [and women] change.” McLuhan, M. and Fiore, Q. (1971) The medium is the massage: An inventory of effects.
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lizamackenzie@googlemail.com
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Beneath the Surface Creating material experiences that disrupt our relationship with time and help us to slow down “In a global economy shaped by units of production, time is no longer thought of in the same way. Now, in our post industrial society, we have moved far away from a model of ‘time as nature’ and into a digital world in which everything operates in an increasingly fast way.” (Wellesley, 2015). We forget that as humans we don’t progress at the same speed as technology. This way of processing time has been proven to have increasingly negative impacts on our health and wellbeing, and is causing destruction to our planet. The aim of my project is to create slowly made pieces which elevate and communicate time through materials. To create a space for reflective processes that can potentially lead to transformative experiences within oneself and within communities. ‘Slow’ refers less to speed than to a quality; a mental attitude and an active position that creates a deeper space for reflective dialogue and engagement. It’s a way of thinking holistically, a vehicle for investigation and a seeding process that can transform how we individually and collectively move towards more sustainable ways of living. I hope to offer an alternative framework for thinking about materials. To invite the audience to nurture a relationship to the material world that is more holistic, integrated with the environment and enlightening.
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Rob Sloan, Designer
“Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.�
Scott Stannard, Maker
Lao Tzu, philosopher
Roland Ellis, Designer
EX P ERT S Claire Wellesley Smith, Author and Textile Expert, England Bryan Whitehead, Indigo Craftsman, Fujino Japan Hiroshi Noguchi, 6th generation Katazome Dyer, Japan
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www.thiessartmanuel.wix.com/manuelthiessart thiessart.manuel@live.fr
Through the Skyglow Enabling stargazing in a world saturated with light pollution How can we once again experience the magic of the night sky through the sky-glow of London? We are living in a very bright era where we continually banish darkness and risk losing the intimate relationship with the night’s sky that we explored as children. Since the invention of the electric light bulb by Thomas Edison in 1879, our relationship with darkness has completely changed. In fact, we tend to reproduce daylight 24 hours a day 7 days a week, continually introducing more and more light into our lives. Because of this ever increasing light pollution or ‘sky-glow’ as it is known, in big cities, the night’s sky is becoming invisible to us. In cities such as London, in which it is becoming more difficult to gaze at the nights sky, I have recorded, mapped and created small pockets of darkness that enable us to gaze into the nights sky and create contemplative experiences that celebrate and harness the power of darkness and reconnect us with our environment. I decided to focus on the Blue Moon, which is a second full moon in the same calendar month. This is a rare phenomenon that only happens every 2nd and 7th year, hence the expression “Once in a Blue Moon”. The last Blue Moon occurred in August 2015 and the next one will happen in 2018. ‘Through the Skyglow’ is a project that attempts to bring people together through recreating the Blue Moon experience.
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“Even standing from the observatory deck at the Empire State Building we now see just 1% of the stars that those in the 1700’s would have seen” Bogard, Paul (2013) The End of Night
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maritta.uk@gmail.com
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Peripheral Ostosis A future exoskeleton to facilitate our relationship with technology Could garments act as a vehicle in which to question our dependence on technology in a smartphone dominated age? The mobile phone has become a necessary tool in our daily lives. However, despite the fact that it is an extraordinarily useful tool, excessive use, especially among adolescents, has not only changed the way we interact with the environment around us, that has also changed us physically. With the advancement of applications and the widespread introduction of web-enabled handsets, we have also seen the emergence of a new ‘always-on’ generation. For these new ‘Millennials’, the mobile phone is seen less as a secondary device, but rather a physical extension of their body. For many, the absence of their mobile phone evokes strong phantom limb sensations and feelings of vulnerability. By highlighting these behavioural and physical trends, it is intended that these ‘Exoskeleton’ garments will illustrate how our physical bodies are moulding around contemporary technologies and cause us to question the long term impact such devices will have on our neurological and physiological selves.
“I felt something very similar to a phantom limb, only it would be like phantom cell phone” The World Unplugged Project Survey - Rayan Blondio
Alleyne, R. (2011) The young generation are ‘addicted’ to mobile phones, The Telegraph
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C O L L A B OR ATORS Tom Mannion, Photographer, Studio Tom Mannion, London Tinatin Shaburishvili, Freelance Photographer, London
Krystyna Kozhoma, Model Fashion Designer, Maison Mais Non - Soho Revue Gallery, London
EX P ERT S Anya Nuttall, Traumatology specialist, University College Hospital, London Nugzar Saralidze, Rheumatology specialist, CYTO, Central Institute of Traumatology and Orthopedics of N. N. Prirov, Moscow, Russia
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Mining Dust Improving air quality through dust collection How can we utilise dust and improve air quality? Quyang Town, also known as ‘The Town of Sculpture’ is situated in Baoding City in Hebei, a province of China. Mineral mining has become one of the largest industries in the area due to its rich mineral resources. However, as one of the largest quarries and stone working industries in China, the area generates prolific amounts of dust. Based on the data published by the World Air Quality Index project the condition of air quality in Hebei is reaching a critical point. According to Hebei Daily, on the 14th of August 2015, Quyang ranked as the second-worst town with air pollution in the Hebei Province and China. This stone dust has a detrimental effect on air quality and people’s health, not just in the quarry itself, but also in the surrounding towns and villages. These people, often on very low incomes receive little or no healthcare support and many suffer long-term health issues as a direct result of this dust. This project explores the potential of mining this dust. By mixing marble dust with local pine resin and natural pigments, it is possible to engineer a very tough yet fully biodegradable material that can be utilised by local makers, industries and communities whilst also improving overall air quality.
“Pollution. It’s really weird that we have accepted it as something normal” Daan Roosegaarde
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C O L L A B OR ATORS Fumin Chen, Stone Carver, Quyang, China
Mi Qianru Zhu, Videographer, China
Elfes, Stone Masons, UK
Tom Mannion, Photographer, Studio Tom Mannion London
Shim Smilansky, Designer, Maykuthon, UK
Lou Blackshaw, Set Designer, Lou Blackshaw Studios London
EX P ERT S Hongli Liu, stone sculpture artist and Intangible Cultural Heritage heir of stone sculpture, Quyang Hongzhou Marble Arts Co. Ltd, Quyang, China
Haibin Li, laboratory director and researcher, Laboratory of Waste Treatment and Resource Utilization in GIEC, China
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Sin-thetic Superpowers Exploring how the widespread use of cognitive enhancement drugs might change our lifestyle and society in the future Nowadays there is an undeniable competitive nature in our society, and it is pushing us to work and exceed our natural limit. In order to cope with these new pressures, we are turning to drugs and stimulants to get ahead of the game. A recent research shows that one out of five British students has taken cognitive enhancement drugs such as Modafinil, Ritalin and Adderall to aid their studies. Sin-thetic Superpowers is a speculative project, exploring the possibility of a future where cognitive enhancement has become widespread and accepted by our society, a world where stimulant is the norm and sleep a taboo. In that scenario, how would our lifestyles adapt to these extreme, yet possible futures? What would our family life, work schedule and education be like? How do we build a culture and new traditions around this stimulated society? The aim of this project is to raise awareness and discussion around the ethical and moral issues of abusing stimulants to meet society’s expectations, as well as to initiate debates and reflection upon our materialistic lifestyle.
“One in five students have used Modafinil� Fitzsimons S., McDonald M. (2014) Cambrige: The Tab.com
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“Self-medicating is extremely worrying. But students feel that there is no alternative. We need to look at what we as a society view as success. Students are investing a lot of money into their studies and there is no guarantee that they will get a job. So the competition is fierce. They need to demonstrate that they are the best and outperform their peers.�
Ally Biring [2014] The Smartness Scandal: Is Our System Breeding Drug Abuse?, The Huffington Post
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Phantom Sensations° Redesigning post-amputation rehabilitation Can redesigning post-amputation rehabilitation tools and systems help prevent the manifestation of phantom limb pain? Phantom limb pain (PLP) is the sensation created by the brain following the misinterpretation of nerve signals from the ‘stump’. It is where our physical biology and intangible psychology overlap, challenging conventional understandings of the body and its capabilities. Once the phantom pain has begun it is very difficult to avoid. Phantom Sensations° places emphasis on the post-amputation rehabilitation phase to help prevent PLP from occurring. It proposes a pre-emptive approach to the issue, with the strategy to enable a better and stronger link between the brain and the missing limb. Creating an analogue way of allowing people to re-strengthen and adapt to their new physical self. The system is divided into three sections with various tools; Healing°, Movement° and Stimulation°. The interaction of each item with the body will help with the re-education of the muscles and movement in the area, reducing the likelihood of pain. They will help the brain and the body understand and come to terms with the loss, and will allow them to remap and prevent future pain.
“…the phantom is always there. It’s part of me; it will never go away completely. I will always be this; I will always have two
arms, it’s just that one of them is missing”. Wright (1997)
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C O L L A B OR ATORS Baptiste Coulon, Photographer, Local F11, Geneva, Switzerland
Lou Blackshaw, Set Designer, Lou Blackshaw Studios London
Ulysse Maillet Contin, Amputee Case Study, France
(Vicki Sarge, Jewellery Designer (Workshop Space Used), VICKISARGE London)
Tom Mannion, Photographer, Studio Tom Mannion, London
Special thanks to all patients who took part in the project
EX P ERT S Melissa Jacobs, Occupational Therapist - upper limb, Queen Mary’s Hospital - Rehabilitation Unit, St George’s Healthcare Dr Imad Sedki, Surgeon + Amputee Specialist, RNOH - Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital Perry Diggins, Prosthetist, RNOH - Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital
Harriet Dempsey-Jones, PhD – researcher, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences Dave White, Community Liason Officer, Limbless Association Charlotte Elliston, Head of Conservation + Collections Care, Science Museum Prosthetic Archives
Elizabeth Brennan, Therapist, RNOH - Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital
Prof. Olaf Blanke, Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience, CNP - Center for Neuroprosthetics EPFL-Geneva
Prof. Tamar Makin, Associate professor + Sir Henry Dale Fellow, NDCN - Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences
Roy Salomon, PhD - Medical Image Processing Laboratory, CNP Center for Neuroprosthetics EPFL-Geneva
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Watermelon Sugar Grow your digital self What if the internet became 3D? As we move further into the Digital Age, the amount of data feedback we as users provide, will ultimately create hyper-personalised algorithms that can channel our consumptions in favour of corporations. Therefore, gaining the foresight to uncover biased algorithms and large-scale systems that can negatively impact people will grow increasingly important. Set in the peak of digital reliance, Watermelon Sugar is a virtual world built by the data collected from a user’s web browsing history or, digital footprint. Invisible internet protocols like cookies that track user activity for ads, stats and social media, visually inform the mood and reactions of the organisms that grow in this world. Based on a surrealist fiction by Richard Brautigan, the work borrows from its poetic narrative to inspire new visual interpretations and interactions that incite our imaginations for data visualisation. This engagement enables users to measure the extent of their online consumption, shaping their interpretation of internet resources and empowering their role as digital citizens. “Our Heavy reliance on search engines and social networks fro news and information has diverted the responsibility of searching for new ideas, subjects and important information to invisible algorithmic editing of the web� Bosker, B (2011) Google giving us information junk food? , The Huffington Post
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“Code can now either be used to advance the creation of informed and participatory democracies or it can be used to disappear or manipulate the appearance of information under massive datasets and complex algorithms.”
Chris Spannos, Digital Editor at New Internationalist (2016) ‘If Google and Facebook can flip elections does code now rule the real world?’
EX P ERT S Alvin Chua, PhD Scholar, KU Leuven, Faculty of Engineering, Belgium Dario Villanueva, Front End Developer at Financial Times, M.A. (hons) Cognitive Science, School of Informatics, The University of Edinburgh, Scotland Iban Benzal, Co-founder and CTO of Rentsquare, Director at TheGoodData, Visiting Lecturer at Royal College of Art (RCA), UK James Ravenscroft, Watson Solutions Architect at IBM, PhD Student, Natural Language Processing, University of Warwick, UK
UsTwo, Digital Product & Design Studio, UK Sarah Gold, Founder of Project IF, Co-founder of WikiHouse Foundation, FRSA, CoLAB Associate and Near Now Fellow, UK Mouhannad Al-Sayegh, Researcher & Developer at London College of Fashion, Founder of Hallon Co, UK Ann-Kristin Abel and Paul Ferragut, Convivial Project, UK
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Beyond the Mainland Utilising locally sourced resources to revive local economies Can a diminishing community and economy be regenerated through innovating lost heritage using locally sourced materials? Bere Island off the southern coast of Ireland, is home to only 165 permanent residents, however, at its peak there were over 2,000. Work on the island can be seasonal and often unpredictable. Job opportunities are limited to low paid agricultural and fishing work, causing many locals to leave the island to work on the mainland. By utilising the waste materials from Bere’s fishing and agricultural industries, I hope to not only produce artefacts that are indicative and local to the island, but also help regenerate the island’s dwindling economy. I have created a series of poetic artefacts that are inspired by Bere Island’s military heritage that could be easily reproduced, fabricated and sold by its local residents, hopefully opening up new revenue streams and economic possibilities for Bere and its inhabitants. My pieces are made for them.
“The biggest problem facing Bere Island at the moment is population decline...At its peak there were over 2,000 people living on Bere. Today, there are only 165.”
Helen Riddell, Development Worker [2015] Bere Island Conservation Plan, Bere Island
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C O L L A B OR ATORS Helen Riddell, Islander, Development Worker, Bere Island Conservation Plan, Bere Island, Co. Cork Brendan Sullivan, Islander, Mussel Farmer, Bere Island, Co. Cork
Teresa Hall, Islander, Sheep Farmer, Bere Island, Co. Cork Barra Vernon, Videographer, Co. Cork, Ireland
EX P ERT S Professor Julian R. G. Evans, Materials and Inorganic Chemistry Section, University College London Dr Ian Heritage, Vice Chairman, The Concrete Society, Midlands
Professor Peter Hewlett, Director of Research and Development, David Ball Group Ltd, Cambridge Edwin A. R. Trout , Manager, Information Services, The Concrete Society, Camberley
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The New Age of Trichology Harnessing the potential of hair How can we use human hair waste to create new materials and design outputs? Human hair is a natural resource that will be increasing in the future since the world’s population is rapidly rising. The UK alone ‘creates’ around 6.5 million kilograms of human hair waste annually, which mostly ends up in landfill or slowly decays in the environment. This causes several problems for both the environment and human health, releasing toxic gasses and choking the drainage system. However, human hair has many valuable properties; it has a high tensile strength, is thermally insulating, flexible, oil-absorbent and is light weight. This project explores the pure potential of hair as a raw material, reducing waste, environmental problems and the pressure on other non-renewable materials. The project consists of a range of utilitarian objects and tools that helps create a system all the way from collection through to the end application.
“Human hair is currently not considered as a useful fibre, even though there is an abundance of it and has a much obvious sustainable praoduction process compared to other natural fibres. We ‘create’ around 6.5 million kg of human hair waste each year in the UK alone.”
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C O L L A B OR ATORS Diane Fisher, Handspinner, Murmuring Wheel, Sheffield (UK)
Jurgen Jacob Lodder, Filmmaker, Jurgen Jacob Lodder Film & Photography, Rotterdam (NL)
Des Pawson, Knot & rope expert, Footrope Knots, Ipswich (UK)
EX P ERT S Mark Blake, Trichologist, Mark Blake Trichology Ltd. Dr. Koon-Yang Lee, Lecturer in Composite Materials, Imperial College London
Chris Jones, Ropemaker, Master Ropemakers at Historic Dockyard Chatham
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www.tinagorjanc.com gorjanc.tina@gmail.com
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Pure Human Embodied Luxury The intersection between biology and luxury How will advances in tissue engineering technology redefine today’s concept of luxury? Tissue engineering technologies grow more sophisticated each day, thus the lack of protection regarding biological patent law allows bioengineering companies to obtain ‘raw’ materials from surgical patients without their consent. These materials are then processed into products, copyrighted by the manufacturing company and sold worldwide for huge profits. Furthermore, all existing legislation dealing with biotechnology today is united under the Human Tissue Act, which only addresses the handling of bodily materials for medical purposes. The act does not regulate the use of biotechnology for commercial purposes, which is currently attracting the attention of the luxury industry. The primary goal of ‘Pure Human’ is to address shortcomings concerning the protection of biological information and move the debate forward by using current legal structures. The final outcome consists of a range of speculative commercial leather products cultivated from cells extracted from Alexander McQueen hair labels that redefine the production system for luxury goods as we know it.
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“Growing skin for medical applications is not new, but the application of this type of technology to consumer materials and leather is still uncommon.” Andras Forgacs, Modern Meadow, Wired Magazine 2015
Modern Meadow is a Brooklyn based company who are working on printing leather. They see it as a “gateway material.” It’s two-dimensional, and made from mainly one type of cell. By using the principles of Bio-
fabrication, cells are gathered through a simple biopsy. From that, new cells are grown, coaxed to produce collagen, spread out to form sheets, layered together like filo pastry, and finally tanned.
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Inedible Futures Design as a provocative tool to address socio-cultural issues The Italian landscape is constantly exposed to natural calamities such as earthquakes, floods and landslides. Every year, a huge amount of post-disaster waste is abandoned and left unprocessed, obstructing the local reconstruction and the regeneration of places that have been hard hit. Unfortunately, the national government reacts in line with the most profitable interests instead of those of the hit communities. Inedible Futures is a provocative critique of current post-disaster waste management in Italy. An unconventional ‘pasta’ factory has been developed to process all the rubble and debris and transform it into giant pasta forms. Debris, vanishing identity of places and communities, is currently clogging and preventing re-habitation and regeneration from taking place. These giant inedible pasta forms made of the rubble are meant as a wider social critique, aimed to highlight that the Italian authorities are able to process huge amounts of material, as they do with pasta, if it is not the victim of disorganisation and widespread corruption And, if everything goes wrong, at least we have pasta!
In 2014, 4.5million tonnes of ingredients were processed in order to make pasta, comparable in volume to the amount of debris generated each year by natural disasters.
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C O L L A B OR ATORS With special thanks to: Luca Candela Marco Palladino Raffaele Mastrolonardo Francesca Campese
EX P ERT S Gianna Mastropietro Joseph Harrington Savvas Papasavva
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www.yingshen.co.uk ying.shen.uk@gmail.com
Choreo + Music Exploring how music and choreography can inform one other In dance, music is considered to be the primary influence that determines our physical movement. In the past, the relationship between music and choreography is very limited and interconnected. However, I am interested in the potential of choreographers and dancers to be able to express themselves independently from music. By experimenting with different materials and techniques and transforming our bodies into physical instruments, my project aims to explore how dance and movement could generate new music and sound, creating garments and accessories for dancers and choreographers to inform choreography rather than follow the music. Targeting sound designers, musicians, dancers and choreographers as my main audiences, I hope my project can not only give them a fresh idea of creating dance and music in a completely different way but also attract theatre designers and costume designers to rethink the future of performance.
“See the music, Hear the dance.” George Balanchine
“Dance, dance, otherwise we are lost.” Pina Bausch
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C O L L A B OR ATORS Lousieanne Wong, Independent Choreographer/Dancer Stéphanie Bergé, Independent Choreographer/Dancer Sally Smithson, Dancer Hung-Chun Wang, Fashion Photographer/Fashion Film Maker Joanne Liu, Makeup Artist Zi-Ren Fang, Hair Stylist PSc Photography Studio London
EX P ERT S Lousieanne Wong, Independent Choreographer/Dancer Stéphanie Bergé, Independent Choreographer/Dancer Sally Smithson, Dancer All movement devised in collaboration with dancers
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They make me better and stronger A critique of the chinese education system How can the current education system be informed by speculative design? For the governments, educators and public media around the world, PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment) is regarded as a crucial index to evaluate and compare the level of the students. The annual ‘PISA routine’ has become a competition between countries around the world. Every year, China and other countries in East Asia, who adopt similar education methods, achieve the top rankings of PISA. However, the Chinese education system also faces harsh criticism due to its high focus on examinations, precise ranking and hierarchical classification. Caught up in the dilemmas of the pros and cons of the system, it is difficult to see a way for genuine educational reform. As the global education environments adopt a progressively more competitive culture, it is even more difficult for the frequent winner, the Chinese system, to change. Instead of quickly coming up with another problem–solving reform, ‘Gaoland’ serves as an imaginative scenario grounded in systematic research and thinking. In this scenario, I want to ask the question: “As the global education environments adopt a progressively more competitive culture, what would the world look like if the current Chinese educational system is adopted as the best system in the world?” By making them concrete and pushing them to their logical extremes through speculative design, it is possible to make abstract and serious ideas of education tangible and more accessible to the public. Existing between reality and the imaginative, speculative design can offer possibilities for discussion and therefore alternatives.
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C O L L A B OR ATORS Film crew — Rosie Morland, Hollie Mapp, Lulu Ladd, Yerin Kim, Michael Navarro. Students from the Department of Film Production & Cinematography Bournemouth University
“If you run an education system based on standardisation and conformity that suppresses individuality, imagination, and creativity, don’t be surprised if that’s what it does.”
Film site — Hackney Chinese Community Services
Ken Robinson (2015) Are Schools killing creativity?, TED.
Jason Cheung, Owner of historical footages, Studio Jason Force Chia-Wei Hsu, Film Composer, Studio Chia-Wei Hsu
EX P ERT S Eric Mazur, Professor at Harvard University, Speaker on education issues such as interactive teaching, educational technology, and assessment, USA Ken Robinson, Author, Education researcher, Speaker on education, creativity and innovation, UK Li-Jiun, Wu, Professor in Department of Education, National Taiwan University of Education, Taiwan Mind Measurement Education Association (MME), Taiwan
Roman Krznaric, Author, Researcher, Consultant on empathy and the art of living Xue-Qin, Jiang, Education researcher and reformer in China, Education consultant Contributing Editor in New York Times, China Yu-Cheng, Hsieh, Education researcher, consultant, and columnist, Taiwan
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The New Natural Synthesising nature for future well-being How can we design therapeutic experiences to improve well-being? My project is about designing everyday sensorial experiences for hospital patients whilst they cope and recover from medical treatments. By designing a ‘breathing wall’ that resembles the wind conditions outdoors using technology, I hope to literally bring the outdoors indoors. Having proximity and an immediate engagement with the natural environment has been proven to aid recovery quicker amongst patients in hospital wards. However, as many older medical clinics and hospitals have been designed with little and at times no access to the natural environment this is impossible to achieve in many cases. However, through technology and materials, I hope to synthetically recreate natural systems for artificial and hostile environments, introducing poetry and interaction to help aid patients recover quicker and provide a more pleasing and natural feel to their everyday experiences. For patients in particular trying to remain positive is an important factor in their recovery, so my focus is in designing systems that strengthen emotional and psychological well-being.
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Nic Webb, Artist/Maker (wood)
“Emotions and experiences are central parts of the health process and can be strengthened by exposure to positive stimuli from surrounding environments”
Richard Price, Glass Specialist, Buckingham University
Dr Alan Dilani, Psychosocially Supportive Design
Paul Ferragut, Physical Computing Expert and Coder, Convivial Project, London
Tom Mannion, Photographer, Studio Tom Mannion, London Jonny Barker, Freelance Electronics Expert and Coder, Hampshire
EX P ERT S Lallita Carballo, Joint Head of Clinical Leads for Supportive Cancer Care and Head of the Macmil-lan Support and Information Service, UCHL Cancer Centre
Anita Justice, Macmilllian Cancer Information and Support Advisor, London
Dr Dina Nemsadze, Mammology Surgeon, ICO Institute of Clinical Oncology, Tbilisi Georgia
Elizabeth Christie, General Practitioner, Norwich Community Hospital
MD Professor Gia Nemsadze, Oncology Surgeon, ICO Institute of Clinical Oncology, Tbilisi Georgia Bernie Byrne, Centre Head of Maggie’s Cancer Centre West London
Babara Harvey, Oncology Nurse, St Barts Hospital, London
Abigail Sharp, Paediatric Doctor, Winchester Hospital Ben Sharp, General Practitioner, Winchester Hospital
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MATERIAL FUTURES Course Leader Kieren Jones First Year Leader Nelly Ben Hayoun Research Leader Professor Carole Collet Thesis Tutor Stephen Hayward Lead Administrator Hannah Cheesbrough Visiting Tutor Philippa Wagner Research Assistant Amy Congdon External Liason Coordinator Natsai Chieza
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Design Laura Gordon Typefaces
Photography Tom Mannion Image Stylist Lou Blackshaw Printed by Pureprint
Walsheim by GrilliType T-Star Mono by Die Gestalten
Materials 120gsm Pop’set Oyster 150gsm Cyclus Print 300gsm Curious Touch Nude
Anne Vaandrager Apilada Vorachart Audrey Speyer Benedetta Martino Bonnie Pierre-Davis Catherine Michelle Baranda Charlotte Nordmoen Giulia Tomasello Hanan Alkouh InĂŞs Marques Katy Shand Laduma Ngxokolo Lesley-Ann Daly Liza Mackenzie Manuel Thiessart Maritta Nemsadze Mi Zhang Nicky Vu Niloufar Esfandiary Pamm Hong Phoebe Quare Sanne Visser Tina Gorjanc Valentina Coraglia Ying Shen Ying-Jung Lai Zannah Cooper