Visits to forests – which were composed of collecting materials such as barks of several tree species and needles of spruce and pine, observing moss beds and surfaces of the trees, listening the soundscape of non-human nature, and enjoying the scents that trees, insects, soil, and other non-humans collectively create in the forest – played important part of the entire process. Those visits worked as an inspiration to create new materials. The aim of the project was to re-create those observations of the surfaces, textures, scents, and emotions felt on walks, into the new, novel materials.
During the CHEMARTS summer course, a wide set of material samples was created with an experimental approach. Different materials from the forest were mixed with various kinds of cellulose derivatives. Cellulose derivatives were used to bind, for example, pine bark powder, spruce needles, boiled willow bark and pine needle extracts. As the final outcome, three materials were selected from the material tests to take further forward. Those selected materials were made from pine needles and pine-, spruce- and willow bark mixed with cellulose and some other additives.
From the project, a receipt, 'Pine bark reinvented', is also part of the CHEMARTS Cookbook (2020).
Photo credits: Eeva Suorlahti
Photo credits: Eeva Suorlahti
Photo credits: Eeva Suorlahti
Photo credits: Eeva Suorlahti
