Date: 09/2010
Category: 3D, Concept, Print
An increasingly large part of our daily lives takes place in an
industrially made environment without much natural influences.
The influence of seasons on nature and the slow unpredictability
of growing plants and vegetables largely goes by unnoticed.
Scientist are getting better at manipulating the building blocks of
organisms. Soon, plants and micro-organisms can be made to order,
just like industrial materials. Maybe in the future products that
are made of plastics nowadays are made by genetically programmed
bacteria or fungi. The question is, are these constructed organisms
still natural?
Mould is a research into bringing products alive, literally.
'Mould' can refer to a type of fungus or 'framework to make an
object' and in this case it's both. The underground part of a fungus,
the mycelium is mixed with cotton fibers and placed in a mould where
it starts to grow. After a month the fungus has formed a strong web of
mycelium and the design can be harvested. Inside the vase is a wooden
skeleton that serves as the source of nutrients for the vase, since it's
natural habitat is inside dead wood. For as long as the vase has
nutrients and water it will stay alive and when it has reached a mature
enough stage it will start to reproduce and mushrooms will grow from the
vase. When left outside the vase will over time fall apart, just like a
bunch of flowers.