Biogenic Encrusting is a wall installation that was developed for the Ars Electronica festival and exhibited at the Kolektiv Gallery in Belgrade, Serbia. The project questions the ‘flat’ appearance and unsustainable nature of our synthetic construction materials, while exploring materials that have a biogenic and geologic origin.

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Biogenic materials are synthesized in benign conditions and although extremely thin are highly expressive and effective, like structural colour commonly found in living organisms. These living, grown micro-crusts are highly ordered three-dimensional structures on a microscopic level. They act not only as visual enhancers through lustrous appearance that changes with light and viewers movement, but as a living mediator between building tissue and the environment by capturing CO2.

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Through microbial colonisation, biomineralization and self-assembly of nanoscale building blocks the project aims to produce such biological micro-crusts in ecologically benign processes. Components exhibited are encrusted in living microbial colonies embedded in silica precipitated matrix and as such have a potential to actively engage in nitrogen, carbon and silicacycles, some of the most important element exchanges on our planet.

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Biogenic Encrusting is designed as a wall prototype with a highly articulated surface morphology that allows for a perceptual depth and radiance of thin chromatic ‘veneers’ to be applied in the built environment.

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The environmentally sensitive and gradient–rich surface of the prototype creates contrasting conditions within a small area, acting as facilitator of microbial growth that enables architecture to actively engage in the important biochemical element exchange. Such surface facilitates the exchange between life-forms and inherently lifeless elements through crust formation. 

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Credits:

Team:  Nina Jotanović with Marcos Cruz and Marc-Olivier Coppens

Collaboration (biology): Dr Slađana Popović / University of Belgrade, Institute of Chemistry, Technology and Metallurgy,
National Institute of the Republic of Serbia, Center of Ecology and Technoeconomics; Prof Dr Gordana Subakov Simić / University of Belgrade, Faculty of Biology, Institute of Botany and Botanical Garden 'Jevremovac'

Collaboration (fabrication): Xylon & Laura Dizajn

Overall support: Brenda Parker

Sponsorship: EPSRC, UK; University College London; Xylon

Venue: Ars Electronica; Kolektiv Gallery

Curator: Senka Latinović

Year: 2020