material archive

The material samples selected can acquire different perceptual features although starting from the same “recipe”, depending on the drying phase which determines the surface finish, but also depending on external factors which can affect the fermentation process giving rise to a variety of textures.

A material produced with blueberry dye at a specific concentration for instance, can range from glossy to matte and to smooth to rough. It will have then a different set of characteristics according to the different techniques and tools used in each step of the production process. Just like on a craft product we can read the marks left from utensils, techniques and manipulation, in the same way on the biofabricated material we can read the marks left from the micro-artisans responsible for its production.

This material archive wasn’t born with the objective of classifying nor listing specific protocols, but is aimed at illustrating in its breadth the spectrum of possibilities for microbial cellulose in terms of sensoriality, therefore contributing to define its identity – still a bit vague and blurry – through material experience and its stratification over time.