Materials can be a passion and a source of inspiration for their look, feel and smell. Nevertheless, we must be careful not to use them just for the sake of using them. The only thing greater than our passion for materials is our love for the planet.
During the this year’s SCIENCE LIVE, we will introduce you to established materials including our favourite sustainable alternatives from the material library at the Faculty of Design and Art. We believe that materials are a great starting point for more sustainable design.
With the support of Artificial Intelligence, we will explore how to transform local byproducts into future application ideas. Curious how this works? We’ll include a live design session (Fri 19–20h) where you can see how the physical meets the digital!
“What happens when material research enters the digital domain with the help of AI Image Generation?”
“Could AI support us in the creation of future concepts and discovering new applications for (regional) byproducts?”
“Can AI be a tool in exploring and simulating growing materials and bio-based design for future of regenerated materials?“
THE RESEARCH
This research (funded by iNEST – Interconnected Nord-Est Innovation Ecosystem) focuses on theoretical, practical and experimental investigations of secondary raw materials from local industries. Particularly, experimenting with growing materials through fungal mycelium and using Artificial Intelligence to speculate on hypothetical future grown materials concepts.
THE PROMPT
A Prompt is a short text phrase that the Midjourney Bot interprets to produce an image. The Midjourney Bot breaks down the words and phrases in a prompt into smaller pieces, called tokens, that can be compared to its training data and then used to generate an image. A well-crafted prompt can help make unique and exciting images.
IMAGE GENERATION
The following images have been created using Advanced Prompts including one or more image URLs, multiple text phrases, and one or more parameters.
AI GENERATED IMAGES BASED ON HEMP, MARBLE AND WOOL
Prompt: (https://s.mj.run/tvICRqEEQtE) Futuristic hemp materials and innovative techniques, parametric woven web made from fungal mycelium grown within hemp byproducts, flat material, full view of the material sample, rough textile texture, herringbone pattern, hyphae structure in and out the fabric, growing design, mycology, biomimicry, hyper detailed, extremely well made, octane render, long exposure, volumetric daylight lighting, beautiful lighting, Sony Alpha α7, Zeiss lens, ISO 900, 64K, –ar 3:2 –c 30 –stylize 600Prompt: : (https://s.mj.run/tvICRqEEQtE) A professional 3D rendering showing a futuristic biological-based material sample developed through hemp raw fibres solidified with strong and whitish mycelium hyphae, having the shape of a sponge-like Grasshopper parametric structure, placed in a white background environment, full view of the material sample, hyper detailed, extremely well made, future tech, octane render, long exposure, volumetric daylight lighting, beautiful lighting, Sony Alpha α7, Zeiss lens, ISO 900, 64K, –ar 3:2 –c 30 –stylize 1000 –style raw
Prompt: (https://s.mj.run/tvICRqEEQtE) a futuristic never seen material made with hemp and mycelium, –ar 3:2Prompt: (https://s.mj.run/JTJOJHHiwlc) What if marble could crystalized into one spherical material sample together with mycelium threads and hyphae to create a futuristic and science fiction new super technical building rough material? It could be designed by Lasa Marmo and Ecovative to emphasize the potential for sustainable and biodegradable material using mycelium, fungi, hyphae, mycelia, growing design, bio design, microorganisms, Trametes Versicolor fungal species, hyper detailed, extremely well made, octane render, long exposure, volumetric daylight lighting, Sony Alpha α7, Zeiss lens, ISO 900, 64K, –ar 3:2 –stylize 1000 –c 40 –style rawPrompt: (https://s.mj.run/4kYj_e0dm-Y) (https://s.mj.run/crrjL3NerPA) what if a microbiologist and an architect could 3D print a marble powder with fungal mycelium to create a dream-like structural material in the shape of a 3D pyramid? Envision this as a professional product photography of a cubic shape made up of mycelium grown through a marble 3D printed structure, parametric mathematical voronoi pattern, focus on the high-resolution texture and details of the material cube where hyphae are grown through the marble powder, Pleurotus Ostreatus hyphae, fungi, top front view shot of the cube placed in a white background environment, hyper detailed, extremely well made, future tech, octane render, long exposure, volumetric daylight lighting, beautiful lighting, Sony Alpha α7, Zeiss lens, ISO 900, 64K, –ar 3:2 –c 40 –style raw –stylize 750Prompt: (https://s.mj.run/4kYj_e0dm-Y) Create a visual representation as a real phorograph of a spherical rough whitish marble material generated from marble byproducts and sand intricately held together by a mycelium hyphe grown in between the marble minerals and crystals, highlighting the contrast between the solid mineral-like qualities of marble and sand with the mycelium’s ability to create fluffy cohesion, emphasizing the potential for sustainable crystalized materials in this speculative concept, showcasing the unique fusion of natural elements through mycelium, minerals, growing design, bio design, microorganisms, Trametes Versicolor fungal species, hyper detailed, extremely well made, octane render, long exposure, volumetric daylight lighting, Sony Alpha α7, Zeiss lens, ISO 900, 64K, –ar 3:2 –stylize 1000 –c 40 –style raw –weird 20Prompt: (https://s.mj.run/S0t5CoWxt7E) what if wool and mycelium could make a morphotectonic biomaterial, designed by Pharrel Williams, growing design, material science, very rough and edgy texture, ultra-realistic, hyper detailed, extremely well made, future biological tech, octane render, long exposure, neon clear cinematic lighting, Sony Alpha α7, Zeiss lens, ISO 900, 64K, –ar 3:2 –c 30 –style raw –stylize 500 –weird 25Prompt: (https://s.mj.run/S0t5CoWxt7E) (https://s.mj.run/KjmhvE7hX_g) (https://s.mj.run/IMbEmnEbKVM) (https://s.mj.run/rHHwbT1Z8fs) An expert real photography of a futuristic biological material sample representing a mycelium-based foam which entangles wool fibres and its properties as comfort and thermal insulation, designed by Ecovative in the year 2500 collaborating with fungi and hyphae, growing design, bio design, microorganisms, Trametes Versicolor fungal species, hyper detailed, extremely well made, octane render, long exposure, volumetric daylight lighting, Sony Alpha α7, Zeiss lens, ISO 900, 64K, –ar 3:2 –stylize 800 –c 40Prompt:(https://s.mj.run/S0t5CoWxt7E) An expert 3D rendering of a futuristic biological material sample representing a mycelium-based foam which entangles wool fibres and its properties as comfort and thermal insulation, designed by Ecovative in the year 2500 collaborating with fungi and hyphae, growing design, bio design, microorganisms, Trametes Versicolor fungal species, hyper detailed, extremely well made, octane render, long exposure, volumetric daylight lighting, Sony Alpha α7, Zeiss lens, ISO 900, 64K, –ar 3:2 –stylize 1000 –c 30
NEXT STEPS
AI Image Generation driven by regional material resources is the starting point for the design of future scenarios and product applications. A next step would be the development of physical prototypes that function as conversation pieces providing new ideas and insights on how a new relationship with materials and making can help us to (re)think, create and contribute to more sustainable futures.
In short, we are exploring the design potential of what happens when the material goes digital (and back).
ABOUT US
Material Crush is a an exhibition organised by Eva Bauer (material library), Nicholas Rapagnani (research fellow) and Aart van Bezooijen (supervisor) supported by the material scouts (Maiella di Donato, Laïsa Cordes, Sven Kammerer).
Eva Bauer Head of the material library at the Faculty of Design and Art. Over many years, supported hundreds of young designers and artists in finding (material) solutions in getting their ideas turned into tangible products and prototypes. She is part of a skilled team of workshop technicians that supports students in getting things done.
Nicholas Rapagnani Eco-Social Designer focusing on footwear design, (bio) materials research, and Artificial Intelligence concepts generation. He currently is a Research Fellow at the Free University of Bolzano, doing physical, digital and AI-based research on future sustainable materials from local industries byproducts.
Aart van Bezooijen Dutch industrial designer with a collection of the most remarkable materials from around the world. He explores how a new relationship with materials and making can help us to (re)think, create and contribute to more sustainable futures. His approach is hands-on, experimental, collaborative and interdisciplinary.
Credits: AI generated images by Nicholas Rapagnani x Midjourney
