Flavobacteria could become a sustainable natural alternative for the colouring industry as they are capable of creating optical structures that interact with light. Their dazzling structural colour changes over time as the bacteria expand over a surface and is dependent on the illumination and viewing angle. In order to get a better understanding of these colourations and explore their potential, a tool was designed that allows for capturing and characterizing this living, iridescent colour. Join this presentation to learn about Flavo, their beautiful colours and their possibilities for design.
During her graduation project of the MSc Integrated Product Design at Delft University, Clarice started working with Flavobacteria. Throughout the project, Clarice captured, characterized, and communicated Flavobacteria’s unique, iridescent and temporal appearance. Afterward, she joined the research group Biobased Art and Design of Avans University of Applied Sciences to continue the research on Flavobacteria. The aim of this research is to get an understanding of the microorganism’s response to different environmental factors and thereby result in the ability to steer the vivid colourations.
This research is about artists, scientists and bacteria co-developing ‘high-performance colour’ as a sustainable alternative to petroleum-based pigments and dyes.
‘Nature is a perfect example of an iterative design process. It is inspiring and full of exciting solutions.’
Clarice Risseeuw is a researcher within the Biobased Art and Design research group
The research group Biobased Art and Design capitalises on the role of artistic practice in unlocking the unique potentials of living organisms for everyday materials and communicating these to a broader public. In doing so, the group aims to instigate and accelerate our widespread understanding, further development and usage of such materials. The group’s research approach encourages tangible interactions with the living organisms, such as algae, fungi, plants and bacteria, to explore and understand their unique qualities and constraints through diverse technical and creative methods taking artists, designers and scientists as equal and active partners in the material creation.
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The research group Situated Art, Design and Technology sees an unprecedented need for artists and designers to consider aesthetics 'in the wild'.
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The research group Cultural and Creative Industries investigates the role of artists and designers as creative innovators and drivers of social and economic change.
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