VIRAL NATURE: A BIORECEPTIVE MATERIAL

Viral Nature is a material research and proposes a composite material, semi-organic, able to host life.

Fertile and easy to shape, the mix can be employed to cast complex structures made to grow into living botanical sculptures. The material, embedded with plant seeds, can be ‘programmed’ to hold or kick off the process of vegetal growth. It detains humidity, maintaining the seeds sufficiently moist and absorbs water through capillarity. The formula of the composite mix is highly adaptable with elements local to a specific geographical zone to avoid potential ecological disruption.

Material Research: The design intention was to create a living material able to interact intelligently with the environment in which it is immersed. A responsive compound, active not only at a biological level, but also with a distinct narrative and communicative power.

The project was approached keeping in mind the necessity to respect the environment in all its diverse ecosystems.  

The research included a study on the implications of human interventions on the environment, the scale of the human threat, observing the interaction of humans with the living structures and their ability to develop an instant emotional connection.