EVERYTHING IS BREATHING
Elza Berzina (NL) talk and teaching
Day 2
WE ARE ALL BODIES
Daniel Michalik (USA), talk and teaching
Day 3
BENDING BODIES
Charlie Whinney, MARD student, workshop
Day 4
SACRED FOREST
Gaia Crocella, Debojyoti Das and Anagh Ball
Elza Berzina is a Latvian designer and artist based in the Netherlands. With her work Forest5x5 she aims to create design processes that form empathy and a sense of observation through a constructed reality. Human and non-human interactions.
Daniel Michalik is Associate Professor of Product and Industrial Design and Associate Dean of the School of Constructed Environments at Parsons School of Design (NYC) and the founder of DMFD, a firm creating furniture and objects from underutilized, environmentally responsible materials and manufacturing methods. Daniel worked on the invitation of Amorim Cork and the Portuguese Cork Association to research the agriculture and industry of cork and working with cork as an engaging living material with vast implications for healthier perspectives on design, agriculture and manufacturing.
Charlie Whinney is based with his studio in the Lake district where he creates beautiful eco-friendly objects, create sustainable art projects, creative community projects and courses in sustainable design practice. Work straddles fine art, architecture and design grounded in making and ecology.
A project week during unit 1 with the first year students to step out of regular teaching and explore collaborative, meeting new guests and perspectives through the Forestschool. From 2-4 November 2023 MARD joined the Forest School: Constructive Land an initiative by MA Architecture what took place at the Lethaby Gallery at Central Saint Martins. Our students participated from around the world in discourse, hands-on investigation and live on-site experimentation.
The Forest School : Constructive Land hosted an exhibition at the Lethaby Gallery that was both a showcase and laboratory, for work, research and teaching along a public programme and workshops exploring new ways forward. We welcomed guests and student participation to experiment with public space as mode of learning and dialogues.
EVERYTHING IS BREATHING was the start session exploring the breathing network of the forest, a complex ecological system layered wit life giving properties that are often unnoticed in our understanding of the forest. This session was focussed on bringing new imaginations the intangible networks that are central to life, being matter, being species and part of living systems. The session was led by our Lecturer in Ecology Barbara Smith speaking on how nature is alive and breathing and we had Elza Berzina as guest sharing her artistic practice and work Forest5x5.
WE ARE ALL BODIES was focussed on unpacking the biotic communities as part of the forest. As biotic members we are part of living systems. We are forests in our own complex ways through being human and wood. What occupies wood and how do we understand this as a living entity? This session zoomed into the existing of bodies, as forests and human and how we relate as one ecology. Daniel Michalik shared his research in cork as species and living entity. What can cork trees teach us? Daniel is exploring the secrets of cork, an engaging material with vast implications for healthier perspectives on design, agriculture and manufacturing. During his research Daniel has been active in Portugal working with centuries-old farming practices investigating its deeper narratives and context.
BENDING BODIES focussed on how we are part of a living system. How do we think about the complex ways by being human and being wood? We explored under guidance og Charlie Whinney DIY woodbending methods from our workplaces around the globe, sharing hands-on experiment and bending.
SACRED FOREST focussed on how can we learn from natural ecosystems, from their resilience, resourcefulness, and generosity in times of planetary emergency? Taking a journey into the Asian sacred forests, we will discuss with guests, social anthropologist Dr Debojyoti Das and architect Anagh Bali, about how we can bring the teachings of the sacred forest to reimagine our built environment.