Bio magneto-active membranes. Photo: Brice Ammar-Khodja

At the intersection of design, digital arts, materials sciences, and mechanical engineering, this project explores novel forms of engagement with magneto-active materials . Exhibiting actuation properties, magnetoactive materials are usually produced by introducing hard ferromagnetic particles into a polymer matrix such as silicone.

The project addresses important gaps in sustainability and artistic research,  and explores how to design them sustainably to interact with the environment.

the project draws on membrane adaptability and examines their excitability, that is, their capacity to affect and be affected by other bodies, exploring concerns related both to the built environment and to the experiential dimension of matter. The project’s objectives are to:

1) synthesize and fabricate new bio-based and circular magneto-active materials to improve their environmental sustainability;

2) co-experiment with their actuation to develop artistic installation-prototypes that generate innovative sensory and critical experiences of active materials.