“Ohhh this changes everything,” I heard someone say as they plaited, played with, and pulled apart the slimy substance in their hands.
Exploration, play, and mess are often inaccessible in adulthood. The monotony of the mundane takes over, and the rigid and regulatory structure of the work/life balance may lead us to forget the feelings of joy that experimentation can bring. Spiraro’s biomaterial workshops provide a space to facilitate this exploration — a space to get your hands dirty and share in the joyful act of messy play and unrestrained learning.
The ceaseless consumption and construction of artificial and inorganic products is an undeniable issue. Plastic’s presence is pervasive and destructive, and now more than ever is the time to seek out alternative mediums. “What if someone told you that you could make unperishable fabric- and plastic-like material from edible and easily accessible ingredients? “
The workshop began with an icebreaker: what’s your favourite texture? Thinking of this immediately brought me out of my head and into my hands. Mapping a tactile landscape around the table, each person brought with them a new description — a unique feeling.
Innovation is all around us, but sometimes it takes a specially curated space to set us into motion. We left with new tips, tokens of advice, morsels of knowledge, and fresh skills that can be transferred into our own creative practices.