Sustainable Material Workshop: DIY Bioplastics (2023)
Exhibition/Presentation:
This Is Not A Drill at the NYU Bobst Library, New York, NY
Press Articles:
Digital Catalog
Exhibiton Video (short)
Exhibition Video (long)
Collaborator:
Priyanka Makin
Supported by This Is Not A Drill supported by Future Imagination Fund
This Is Not A Drill at the NYU Bobst Library, New York, NY
Press Articles:
Digital Catalog
Exhibiton Video (short)
Exhibition Video (long)
Collaborator:
Priyanka Makin
Supported by This Is Not A Drill supported by Future Imagination Fund
In physical computing and interactive arts, projects oftentimes require fabrication: enclosures for a controller, light diffusers, mechanical parts for robots, or structures for immersive experiences. The building process involves digital fabrication for precision and quality, the most common one being laser cutting.
Acrylic is the go-to material for students, artists, and practitioners to use in creating these fabrications due to its durability, particular aesthetic, and cost-effectiveness, but it is neither sustainable nor biodegradable. Laser cutting acrylic creates toxic fumes. At ITP/IMA (Interactive Telecommunications Program / Interactive Media Arts) where Yeseul Song works, they tend to discourage students from using it. However, since no alternatives are easily available, a lot of people end up using acrylics in projects anyway. Alternatives such as cardboard are not always preferred since the material doesn't guarantee durability or aesthetics.
Sustainable Material Workshop started by recognizing the urgent need to adopt sustainable materials to reduce the carbon footprint of the department, of NYU, and of interactive arts. The project reimagines our relationship with materials: What if building material is something people need to take their own time to make, instead of buying off-the-shelf and throwing away? Can materials be a holder of time, stories, and memories? What if sustainability can suggest new appealing aesthetics that have not been achieved through go-to materials like acrylics?
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This exhibit is a snapshot of the learning process and experimentation involved in such a reimagination. The presented materials are "cooked" with biodegradable plant-based kitchen ingredients, such as algae, vegetable oil, vinegar, coffee grounds, and water. Colorfully-illustrated bioplastic recipes and small projects made with the materials such as a lamp shade, a mechanical component, fishing lures, and packing peanut alternatives in duck shape accompany the material samples. By suggesting new aesthetics and possibilities, the project questions and reforms the process of art-making with a hope to inspire artists, designers, makers, and institutions.
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Participants discovered that the "cooking" process is naturally social, different from other production processes like programming and circuiting; it brought many passersby and friends together to help with stirring, measuring, cleaning, and chatting. While the team was cooking on a table at ITP/IMA, a lot of curious minds came by, asked what they were doing, and participated. Many ad-hoc ideation sessions on what could be made out of each material organically happened during the cooking sessions. Some of the ideas are shown on each material sample panel of the exhibit.
Along with bioplastic experiments, the project has been working to make practical changes in the department and beyond, and these efforts are archived in the digital album shown alongside the exhibits. It includes: researching sourcing recycled acrylic as a more environmentally-friendly alternative to new acrylic, connecting with and learning from different parts of NYU and other relevant organizations/experts to share resources so we contribute to material sustainability together, running communal ideation sessions around these new materials, and teaching a relevant class and organizing workshops to educate and bring more people together on this project. This needs to be a communal effort, and the artist welcomes your interest and participation by following the recipes, joining upcoming workshops by Lorena Ostia and Rae Yuping Hsu that are scheduled for Fall 2023, or reaching out to her directly.
While this is an ongoing project, it took a lot of people's generous advice and kind help for this project to get this far. The artist extends her gratitude to: Rae Yuping Hsu, Kari Love, Christina Cappelli, Tom Igoe, David Rios, Danny Rozin, Phil Caridi (all ITP/IMA), Harry Winer (Kanbar Institute of Film & Television), Molly Ritmiller (Tandon), Ninad Pandit (The Cooper Union), Hyunjin Moon (National Renewable Energy Laboratory), and Niko Arranz (Biomaterials Studio at Genspace) who have offered valuable insights and knowledge to this project. Staff members at ITP/IMA (Rob, Shirley, Adrian, Luke, Emma, George, and more), the Bobst Library team (Elizabeth, Roxane, Nancy, Shawnta), Shawn Van Every (ITP/IMA), and Kristel F Baldoz (TCR) have been essential to making the practical and logistical parts of this project happen. Bianca Gan, Gracy Whelihan, Nuntinee T, Tres Pimentel, Lily Crandall (all ITP/IMA), and many more people shared project ideas on what to make with the bioplastics that were cooked. Lastly, the artist extends a huge thanks to ITP/IMA, the This Is Not A Drill program, Mona Sloane (NYU), and Tisch Creative Research for their belief and support of this work.
Acrylic is the go-to material for students, artists, and practitioners to use in creating these fabrications due to its durability, particular aesthetic, and cost-effectiveness, but it is neither sustainable nor biodegradable. Laser cutting acrylic creates toxic fumes. At ITP/IMA (Interactive Telecommunications Program / Interactive Media Arts) where Yeseul Song works, they tend to discourage students from using it. However, since no alternatives are easily available, a lot of people end up using acrylics in projects anyway. Alternatives such as cardboard are not always preferred since the material doesn't guarantee durability or aesthetics.
Sustainable Material Workshop started by recognizing the urgent need to adopt sustainable materials to reduce the carbon footprint of the department, of NYU, and of interactive arts. The project reimagines our relationship with materials: What if building material is something people need to take their own time to make, instead of buying off-the-shelf and throwing away? Can materials be a holder of time, stories, and memories? What if sustainability can suggest new appealing aesthetics that have not been achieved through go-to materials like acrylics?
This exhibit is a snapshot of the learning process and experimentation involved in such a reimagination. The presented materials are "cooked" with biodegradable plant-based kitchen ingredients, such as algae, vegetable oil, vinegar, coffee grounds, and water. Colorfully-illustrated bioplastic recipes and small projects made with the materials such as a lamp shade, a mechanical component, fishing lures, and packing peanut alternatives in duck shape accompany the material samples. By suggesting new aesthetics and possibilities, the project questions and reforms the process of art-making with a hope to inspire artists, designers, makers, and institutions.
Participants discovered that the "cooking" process is naturally social, different from other production processes like programming and circuiting; it brought many passersby and friends together to help with stirring, measuring, cleaning, and chatting. While the team was cooking on a table at ITP/IMA, a lot of curious minds came by, asked what they were doing, and participated. Many ad-hoc ideation sessions on what could be made out of each material organically happened during the cooking sessions. Some of the ideas are shown on each material sample panel of the exhibit.
Along with bioplastic experiments, the project has been working to make practical changes in the department and beyond, and these efforts are archived in the digital album shown alongside the exhibits. It includes: researching sourcing recycled acrylic as a more environmentally-friendly alternative to new acrylic, connecting with and learning from different parts of NYU and other relevant organizations/experts to share resources so we contribute to material sustainability together, running communal ideation sessions around these new materials, and teaching a relevant class and organizing workshops to educate and bring more people together on this project. This needs to be a communal effort, and the artist welcomes your interest and participation by following the recipes, joining upcoming workshops by Lorena Ostia and Rae Yuping Hsu that are scheduled for Fall 2023, or reaching out to her directly.
While this is an ongoing project, it took a lot of people's generous advice and kind help for this project to get this far. The artist extends her gratitude to: Rae Yuping Hsu, Kari Love, Christina Cappelli, Tom Igoe, David Rios, Danny Rozin, Phil Caridi (all ITP/IMA), Harry Winer (Kanbar Institute of Film & Television), Molly Ritmiller (Tandon), Ninad Pandit (The Cooper Union), Hyunjin Moon (National Renewable Energy Laboratory), and Niko Arranz (Biomaterials Studio at Genspace) who have offered valuable insights and knowledge to this project. Staff members at ITP/IMA (Rob, Shirley, Adrian, Luke, Emma, George, and more), the Bobst Library team (Elizabeth, Roxane, Nancy, Shawnta), Shawn Van Every (ITP/IMA), and Kristel F Baldoz (TCR) have been essential to making the practical and logistical parts of this project happen. Bianca Gan, Gracy Whelihan, Nuntinee T, Tres Pimentel, Lily Crandall (all ITP/IMA), and many more people shared project ideas on what to make with the bioplastics that were cooked. Lastly, the artist extends a huge thanks to ITP/IMA, the This Is Not A Drill program, Mona Sloane (NYU), and Tisch Creative Research for their belief and support of this work.