SPCS Talks vol.2 ｜Textile Dyeing with Bacteria – Letting Nature Design with Julia Moser

Biodiversity is a key factor in preserving the balance of our environment. Yet the speed at which species are heading for extinction has increased since the 1970s. In merely 30 years, 68% of all species on earth have gone extinct. And today, an estimated 100 species go extinct daily. Even if we call for more conservation efforts, humans rarely change their behavior. How should we then rebuild the biodiversity in our ecosystems while fulfilling human needs and tailoring to the human ego? For that purpose, the practices we have taken for granted have to be re-evaluated, and we propose adopting a new mindset that allows nature to take its own course.

SPCS is a community that explores new ways of partnering with non-human species instead of trying to control them. Here, we introduce trailblazers who have found unique ways to approach what others would consider as ‘errors’ or ‘unruly’ in nature, or creators who are devising new methods of co-creation with nature that will still satisfy human needs.

Each session will feature speakers who are experimenting in various fields, and will be recorded and shared online in an archive. For sessions which are held offline, we also set aside time for participants to mix and interact. We hope that this will birth new collaborations among participants from diverse backgrounds.

Bacteria are often feared as harbingers of disease and infection. We are more often trying to eradicate them rather than celebrate them. Yet, these misunderstood organisms are everywhere around us, playing vital roles in our ecosystem.

What if we worked with bacteria instead of vilifying them? We’ve already done so for hundreds of years, roping them in to make yogurt and pickles. Now we’ve found that they can also dye textiles, a promising solution for one of the most pollutive industries in the world. 

Julia Moser has been researching the use of bacteria to produce pigments that can stain fabric. Instead of simply creating an alternative dye, she experiments with growing bacteria directly on textiles, allowing them to co-design the pattern of each piece. 

Making the invisible visible – cultured bacteria producing bright and varied pigments.

Growing Colors | JKU LIT @ Ars Electronica 2021

Through her project – Growing Patterns Living Pigments, she shows the possibilities of using bacterial pigments for dyeing textiles in different colors, shapes and patterns and illustrates the presence of bacteria in our environment by making their colors visible. The combination of this resource-saving and environmentally friendly dyeing method with new technologies opens up completely new possibilities to make the world not only more colorful – blue, yellow, or red – but also a bit “greener” and thus more sustainable.

In a cut-throat industry focused on mass-production with little regard for the environment, how do we make space for nature to design and create alongside us? Whether it’s letting growth patterns decide the shape of a garment’s pattern-cutting, or programming her knits based on the growth of bacteria, Julia’s working relationship with non-human organisms is definitely more cooperative than exploitative. 

Join us as we talk with Julia to learn more about bacterial dyeing and co-creating with living organisms as we explore a new future for the fashion industry.

An alternative, cyclical approach to garment production proposed by Julia. (Credits: Julia Moser)

• Textile and textile dyeing enthusiasts and students interested in new  sustainable production methods.
• Textile and textile dyeing manufacturers who are interested in experimenting with biological elements or exploring new materials for dyes.
• Biotechnologists who are looking for new interpretations and use cases for their work in biology.
• Fashion / craft / science educators looking for new cross-disciplinary material to introduce in their curriculum.
• Fibro-science researchers who are interested in what is happening in the global landscape.

Date
31st March 2023（Friday）19:00-20:00

Participants
40

Admission Fee
Participation is free ※ Online viewing post-event will be free

Location

FabCafe Kyoto（京都府京都市下京区本塩竈町554）

Organizer

FabCafe Kyoto / Loftwork Kyoto

To note　

• If there are too many sign-ups, there may be a possibility that we choose participants through a raffle. We ask for your understanding on this matter.
• Photos of participants and the event may be uploaded to the FabCafe Kyoto/Loftwork.com website at a later date
• We reserve the right to change this program with no prior notice.
  

Microbiomes, radiation, viruses, bacteria – these uncontrollable forces of nature are often dismissed as errors or dangerous. However, can we reclaim the view of this uncontrollable biodiversity and propose a new positive way of creatively designing for and with these ‘errors’? That is the purpose of the community SPCS.