Design Week 2023: Neomateria
Shauna Kelly
Published - December 1, 2023
The “Neomateria” project promotes innovation, sustainability and creativity through materials. It provides expertise and space for artists and makers to explore and experiment with the properties of new bio-based and waste materials.
Delivered by Materfad, Barcelona Materials Center, the Consortium for Trade, Crafts and Fashion of Catalonia CCAM (Barcelona) and Creative Futures Academy at NCAD, “Neomateria” included expert workshops, a panel discussion and an exhibition held over 3 days in Dublin during Design Week 2023 (15th – 17th November).
The series of events focused on dissemination, collaboration and inclusion of industry specialists, scientists, makers, academics and international experts with potential to transform dialogue and enact change beyond the studio or lab and ultimately instigate sectoral changes.
Led by Laura Civetti, the three-day bioplastic workshop “Materials to wear?” was an enlightening exploration into sustainable material creation, encompassing basic recipes, 3D printing fundamentals, and the extraction of natural colors. Fashion designers, artists, and graphic designers collaborated passionately, uncovering innovative ways to repurpose waste materials.
Starting with a brief theoretical overview, the workshop transitioned to the hands-on creation of bioplastics. The participants transformed waste materials into versatile substances, exploring the myriad possibilities such as flexibility, strength, texture, thickness and much more.
The integration of 3D printing principles and the art of extracting natural colors expanded our creative workshop toolkit significantly, with the aim that the participant could incorporate these elements into their respective disciplines, offering innovative avenues to infuse sustainability into their future designs.
“The workshop’s impact goes beyond mere learning; I hope it planted seeds of inspiration, offering tangible tools and techniques that the participant could wield within their individual fields.” – Laura Civetti
Led by Zsofia Kollar over three days, participants engaged in a workshop centered on human hair as a versatile material, exploring its potential integration into various industries. Through hands-on activities like felting and sculpting, they familiarised themselves with hair’s properties, crafting it into different pieces and artistic creations. Alongside practical exploration, sessions delved into the historical context of hair use throughout human civilisation. The workshop aimed not only to showcase human hair’s abundance as a material but also to broaden perspectives on underutilised resources. It encouraged participants to envision a bio-circular future, emphasising the transition toward abundant biomaterials and the untapped potential for innovation and sustainability. Ultimately, the workshop sought to instil the understanding that ‘after all, trash is just raw material in the wrong place,’ prompting a rethinking of resource usage and waste management.
Since 2019, the Neomateria Talks have nurtured a rich exchange among creators, including artisans, makers, and designers from various countries.
In Dublin, on Wednesday 16th November as part of Irish Design Week 2023, amidst the presence of workshop experts, we tapped into the invaluable insights of our panel to shed light on the future possibilities of new materials.
Our panel included:
