bio-digital sculptures by ecoLogicStudio and urban morphogenesis lab at centre pompidou

ecoLogicStudio and their research partners, the urban morphogenesis lab at the bartlett UCL, are showcasing their sculptures in the exhibition ‘la fabrique du vivant’ (the fabric of the living) at the centre pompidou in paris. the works, entitled ‘H.O.R.T.U.S. XL astaxanthin.g’ and ‘XenoDerma’ respectively, are part of the mutations-créations series that will be displayed from 20 february until 15 april 2019.

H.O.R.T.U.S. XL astaxanthin.g, image © NAARO

in ‘H.O.R.T.U.S. XL astaxanthin.g’ by ecoLogicStudio a digital algorithm simulates the growth of a substratum inspired by coral morphology. this is physically deposited by 3D printing machines in layers of 400 microns, supported by triangular units of 46 mm and divided into hexagonal blocks of 18.5 cm. photosynthetic cyanobacteria are inoculated on a biogel medium into the individual triangular cells, or bio-pixel, forming the units of biological intelligence of the system. their metabolisms, powered by photosynthesis, convert radiation into actual oxygen and biomass. 

H.O.R.T.U.S. XL astaxanthin.g, image © NAARO

the density-value of each bio-pixel is digitally computed in order to optimally arrange the photosynthetic organisms along iso-surfaces of increased incoming radiation. among the oldest organisms on earth, cyanobacteria’s unique biological intelligence is gathered as part of a new form of bio-digital architecture.

XenoDerma, image © NAARO

in ‘XenoDerma’ by the urban morphogenesis lab, spider web morphogenesis is intercepted with a man-made spatial scaffolding, algorithmically designed and 3D printed. spiders’ minds, in this case asian fawn tarantulas, do not entirely reside in their bodies, as their webs constitute a form of spatial thinking. information from their webs become an integral part of their cognitive systems. 

XenoDerma, image © urban morphogenesis lab the bartlett UCL

the behaviour of the spiders and the production of silk is re-programmed in ‘XenoDerma’ through the design of the 3D printed substructure and of its geometrical features. the result consciously seeks productive ambiguity, revealing in the alien beauty of its silky morphologies, an intelligence that resides somewhere at the intersection of the biological, technological and digital realms.

XenoDerma, image © urban morphogenesis lab the bartlett UCL

XenoDerma, image © urban morphogenesis lab the bartlett UCL

H.O.R.T.U.S. XL astaxanthin.g, image © NAARO

H.O.R.T.U.S. XL astaxanthin.g, image © NAARO

H.O.R.T.U.S. XL astaxanthin.g, image © NAARO

H.O.R.T.U.S. XL astaxanthin.g, image © NAARO

H.O.R.T.U.S. XL astaxanthin.g, image © NAARO

H.O.R.T.U.S. XL astaxanthin.g, image © NAARO

project info:

project name: H.O.R.T.U.S. XL Astaxanthin.g

design: ecoLogicStudio (claudia pasquero, marco poletto, konstantinos alexopoulos, matteo baldissarra, michael brewster)

research partner for biological as well as 3D printed systems and production development: synthetic landscape lab, IOUD, innsbruck university (prof. claudia pasquero, maria kuptsova, terezia greskova, emiliano rando, jens burkart, niko jabadari, simon posch); photosynthetica consortium

research partner for 3d printed systems and production development: CREATE Group / WASP hub denmark – university of southern denmark (SDU) (prof. roberto naboni, furio magaraggia)

engineering: YIP structural engineering, manja van de vorp

microalgal medium material support: ecoduna AG

3D printing material support: extrudr

project name: XenoDerma

design, production and research: urban morphogenesis lab (lab director: claudia pasquero cluster researchers: filippo nassetti, emmanouil zaroukas design team: mengxuan lii, xiao liang) b-pro, the bartlett school of architecture, UCL