Recipes for Material Activism

In the pursuit to develop a variation of models to replace traditional manufacturing processes, each prototype implies systems for producing know materials and structures in an alternative way. The outcome of this project is a group of prototypes that prove the potentials of these models.

This book invites to the dissemination of the outcomes and their use and adaptation in various contexts. Physical ingredients coexist with individual approaches to the recipes. The recipes and instructions aim for a low-tech DIY production of materials and textiles, sometimes with the requirement to hack common tools.

The materials used are non-toxic and can be easily sourced, leading to an inventive ‘mixing’ approach with improvised ingredients for different outcomes. Recipes for Material Activism explores each recipe and documents the process in order to share what is achievable, and where things can be adapted or further explored.

Recipes for Material Activism is part of The Embodied Energy Series, an on-going research initiated by Miriam Ribul exploring how the energy applied is directly related to the outcome in shape and material. The aim of this series is to research material and people focused processes for sustainable manufacturing. Part 1 is a starting point for further explorations, and will probably be followed by more tools and recipes.