The Making of »Matter of South. Biomaterial Cultures form Latin America«

On July 12th 2024, the exhibition and research project Matter of South. Biomaterial Cultures from Latin America opened its doors. Its curators investigate to which extent the development of biomaterials can create new relationships between people and their environment in the future. What alternatives can there be to our extractivist practices?

Designer and curators Heidi Jalkh, Gisela Pozzetti and Valentina Aliaga Vargas, who work in Argentina and Chile, founded the platform »Matter of South« for the exhibition at the Berlin Kunstgewerbemuseum. It offers a space for dialogue, creativity and collaboration and invites participants to explore the transformative potential of biomaterial cultures in Latin America.

At the center of the exhibition was the »Archive of Biomaterials«. It presents 60 initiatives that were selected as part of an open call in eleven Latin American countries. They all deal with research into biomaterials and bio-manufacturing in the region.

In this round table discussion with the three curators and further players, on July 17th, participants were able to find out more about the background and vision of the »Matter of South« initiative.

Speakers

Biomaterial Mapping + Archive | Research & sensemaking

Jimena Califa | Project lead

Camila Narbaitz Sarsur

Rocio Bongiovanni

Manifesto

Eliana Ortiz-Velosa | Methodological Advisor
PhD Education
Universidad Católica de Temuco

Cristina Muñoz
DLAB Universidad San Francisco de Quito

Sebastián Rodríguez
BioFAB UC - Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile

Carolina Pacheco Glen
Calcáreo / BioFAB UC - Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile

The round table was part of the discursive platform »More than Human. Design after the Anthropocene«.
www.more-than-human.eu