Reset Materials is an exhibition in Copenhagen that features architectural fragments made from 10 different low-carbon materials, including earth, biocement, mycelium, silicon and straw, hempcrete, aerated concrete, recycled plastic, waste wood and plant fibers. The exhibition is the result of 10 collaborations between artists and architects to explore how these materials might be used in new ways.
Visitors are invited to explore a three-dimensional landscape filled with large-scale objects and installations that they can not only see up close, but also touch and smell. The aim is to show how these materials might be used together.
One of the most eye-catching exhibits is a series of elements made from straw. The project looks at how bundled reeds can become load-bearing arches, while thatched panels could be heat-treated to improve their fire safety.
Another example of material innovation demonstrates new uses for silicon, the second-most abundant element on Earth after oxygen. There are a range of product samples, including bricks made by combining silicon waste with earth, and tiles that feature a glaze made from silicon dust.
Another exhibit show ways of improving the tensile strength of rammed earth, demonstrated by a pair of curved walls. This flooring surface is a recycled membrane sourced from a building site, while textile hangs from the ceiling overhead.
There are architectural fixtures and fittings – from walls to roller blinds – made from nettle, hemp, flax and eelgrass fibers.
The exhibition includes a table where visitors can discover biomaterial samples.
Using offcuts from a wood flooring company , they created a table that spans the length of the room, plus a series of stools made by bundling smaller pieces of wood together.
Reset Materials is on show at Copenhagen Contemporary from 30 June to 28 September 2023.
You can read the original article at www.dezeen.com
The photography is by Hampus Berndtson.