Living Matter: DIY Biomaterials for a Regenerative Design
“Living Matter” offers an overview of Selenia’s research into biomaterials as a response to the environmental and ethical challenges posed by conventional material production. At the intersection of design, science, and ecology, the booth showcases a series of experimental samples derived from organic sources such as algae, bacteria, and biological waste.
Selenia Marinelli is a Rome-based bio-architect, PhD, independent researcher, and material activist whose work explores biofabrication and multispecies co-existence in architecture through post-humanist and material feminist approaches. Her research challenges anthropocentric perspectives, emphasising the interconnectedness of living systems within the built environment. “Living Matter” offers an overview of Selenia’s research into biomaterials as a response to the environmental and ethical challenges posed by conventional material production. At the intersection of design, science, and ecology, the booth showcases a series of experimental samples derived from organic sources such as algae, bacteria, and biological waste. Each material is presented as both a scientific experiment and a design proposition, emphasising texture, structural behavior, and lifecycle while highlighting the potential of biodegradable and regenerative alternatives for construction and design. Overall, the exhibition invites viewers to reconsider their relationship with materials – shifting from a paradigm of consumption and disposal toward one of growth, adaptation, and coexistence.
