Our initial research on agar agar based bioplastic was shown at the This Is Not A Drill exhibition at the NYU Bobst Library from September 2023 through December 2023. The project started as a faculty fellowship project supported by Tisch Creative Research‘s This Is Not A Drill, led by Mona Sloan and funded by Future Imagination Fund.
Sustainable Material Workshop: DIY Bioplastics
By: Yeseul Song (This Is Not A Drill* faculty fellow), Priyanka Makin
Materials: DIY bioplastics made of algae and a variety of plant-based ingredients
An initiative to research and adopt sustainable materials to replace acrylic, a go-to material for digital fabrication that is neither sustainable nor biodegradable. The project reimagines our relationship with materials: what if material is something people need to take time to make, instead of buying off-the-shelf and throwing away? Can materials be a keeper of time, stories, and memories?
This exhibit is a snapshot of the learning process and experimentation involved in such a reimagination. The presented materials—accompanied by recipe illustrations and example projects—are “cooked” with biodegradable plant-based kitchen ingredients, such as algae, vegetable oil, vinegar, coffee grounds, and water. By suggesting new aesthetics and creative possibilities, the project questions and reforms the process of art making.
Interviews, conversations, field trips, communal ideation, and other efforts are archived in the digital publication. This is an evolving exhibit, and outcomes from the accompanying workshops and class will be added over time.
Read long project description and full credits on This Is Not A Drill Exhibition Catalog.
Photo credits: Elena Olivo, Gabrielle Randall, courtesy of NYU Libraries
More photos of the exhibition on NYU Gallery