Neo-Matter. Residency & Workshops
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Four workshop sessions and talks for artisans on new materials and how to apply them in their daily practice.
Neo-Matter Residency & Workshops 2023 consists of a programme for professional craftspeople, a practical immersion in the field of new materials. Organised by MATERFAD and CCAM, with the collaboration of the Embassy of the Netherlands, the programme’s contents and speakers were chosen so that participants can apply in their projects the knowledge and techniques they have acquired, in the short term or even on an immediate basis.
The activities will be in a format of workshops and knowledge capsules. They will take place from 21 to 24 February at the Centro de Artesanía de Cataluña, the Catalonia Crafts Centre, which will be a four-day living “residency” for craftspeople to discover how “neo-materials” can shape the future of the profession and reinforce their connection with innovative and sustainable creativity.
The programme has been designed to host 45 craftspeople in an in-person format. They will have to choose one of the three workshops we will be imparting:
Workshop A: Digital Neo-Matter
Imparted by: Rubén Oya (web) and Joaquín Díez (IG).
Description: This workshop will conduct an in-depth examination of the concept of interaction, making reference to systems (interfaces) that react to stimuli from their environment, either through a person’s action or variations in conditions (light, sound, temperature, etc.).
Goal: To give a digital coating to physical objects. To do this we will use integrated or embedded electronics, an initiation into the Arduino environment. The aim is to provide participants with the basic knowledge to start creating digitally-enhanced physical objects.
Imparted by: Catalan and Spanish.
Workshop B: Vegetable and Living Neo-Matter
Impartido por: Lara Campos.
Description: Combining various materialities with seeds is an emerging practice that has its roots in the fascination of natural transformation. In recent years we have seen an increase in the number of designers, researchers and professionals who combine materials and plants. During the workshop we will focus on seeded materials for a better comprehension of plant physiology and ecology.
Goal: To explore different ways of working with seeds and how to apply them to a variety of materials.
Language: Spanish.
Workshop C: Residual Human Neo-Matter
Imparted by: Zsofia Kollar
Description: Hair is an intimate yet incredibly powerful material: at the same diameter it is stronger than steel, and it can be stretched by one and a half times its original length before it breaks. Human hair is abundant, non-toxic, highly resistant to traction, lightweight yet a good thermal insulator, it is flexible and has the capacity to absorb oil. For all these reasons it has great potential for integrating it into our production system.
Goal: To learn about the capabilities of human hair as a material and its possibilities in different applications. Participants will create their own interpretation of hair within their working field and will integrate it into their practice.
Language: English
Incollaboration with the Embassy of the Netherlands
Besides the workshops, every day we will impart a joint knowledge capsule for all participants, with practical content for working with new materials.
- Capsule 1: Creativity, Theory and Materials, with Robert D. Thompson, MATERFAD scientific director
Tuesday 21st, from 3 to 4 pm. - Capsule 2: Regulation, Testing and Measuring, with José Antonio Gago, market manager, Product Innovation at Eurecat.
Wednesday 22nd, from 3 to 4 pm. - Capsule 3: Communication and Strategy, with Miguel A. Aguiló and Olivia Ricard, digital communication consultants and cofounders of Slowkind.
Thursday 23rd, from 3 to 4 pm. - Capsule 4: Financing and Fundraising, with Eugènia Valls, entrepreneurship technician at Barcelona Activa.
Friday 24th, from 10 to 11 am.
On the last day, Friday 24th, the session will take place in the morning and will be open to the public (a free registration form will be made available until all the places are filled). The projects completed in the three previous days by the workshop participants will be showcased and we will be treated to a talk by Zsofia Kollar and Savine Schoorl, moderated by Robert D. Thompson. The participation of these Dutch designers in the Neo-matter program is possible thanks to the collaboration of the Embassy of the Netherlands.
PROGRAMME:
Tuesday 21st
2 – 3 pm: Welcome and presentation
3 – 4 pm: Capsule 1: Creativity, theory and materials
4 – 8 pm: Workshops (all three simultaneously)
Wednesday 22nd
3 – 4 pm: Capsule 2: Regulation, Testing and Measuring
4 – 8 pm: Workshops (all three simultaneously)
Thursday 23rd
3 – 4 pm: Capsule 3: Marketing, Communication and Strategy
4 – 8 pm: Workshops (all three simultaneously)
Friday 24th
10 – 11 am: Capsule 4: Project Financing and Fundraising
11 am – 1 pm: Closing session (open to the public)
- Welcome breakfast
- Presentation of workshop results
- Neo-Matter Talk, with Zsofia Kollar and Savine Schoorl, moderated by Robert D. Thompson