At Ventura Lambrate, one will always find a strong emphasis on the development and usage of materials. And with technology evolving but resources diminishing, the discussion is becoming ever more important.

This year, along with new research, visitors will get to see new products made of unusual materials or material combinations.

The Colour of Hair
Hair, or more specifically the proteins in hair, serves as the starting point for The Colour of Hair, a project by Dutch designer Martijn Rigters and Swiss designer Fabio Hendry. At Ventura Lambrate, the pair will show a printing technique that can transform abundant human hair into a sustainable and durable ink. The process is based on the hair’s main protein, keratin, which is carbonised inside a metal vessel using heat. This reaction happens instantly and the printing process actually penetrates the surface of the metal, leaving a durable image.

Liquid Matters Collection
For Fraai Werk, the fascination with viscosity marks the starting point of an exploration of liquids settling into solid matter and becoming objects. Together with studio Noepster who was responsible for the communication and art direction, Fraai Werk presents products under the Liquid Matters Collection, along with a narrative that showcases the research process that formed the basis of the project.

PaperBricks
In exploring more sustainable methods for recycling paper, Korean/New Zealand designer Woojai Lee turns newspaper into pulp, mixes them with glue and shapes them into bricks. While the technique is fairly simple, the end product is designed to be strong enough to be used in the construction of furniture, as well as large architectural applications.

Story of Transformation
Taiwanese designer Pai Hui Kao influences the seemingly weak fibres of paper by adding a different material (water), to induce a chemical reaction. The resulting designs on display will be poetic explorations of this age-old material.

Liquid Series
Royal College of Art alumni Alissa Volchkova’s project for Ventura Lambrate is born out of her fascination for the liquid state and the clay material. In the Liquid Series, she uses the technique of slip casting to create a perfectly circular shaped bowl or plate, then disrupts it by pouring it on a dyed slip until it freezes.