home¶
I'm c l a r a,
in continuous process
Born, raised and based in Rio de Janeiro, Brasil. caos and calm. I’m a designer, artist and researcher. Very much interested in the crossings of arts, biology, technology, environmental, and contemporary critical studies in a constant (and probably infinite) search for new understandings of the world we live in. At the moment, I’ve been researching multispecies habitats, intra- and interactions between humans and more-than-humans, living and “non-living” through the study and experimentations with biodegradable polymers, biocomposites, and living organisms as material, such as mycelium composites and bacterial cellulose to be applied both in art and design projects. I'm very happy to be part of Fabacademy and continue to study and experiment with these topics together with such an amazing community of creators.
a bit of my background¶
I graduated from the School of Fine Arts at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), where I collaborated for 4 years in the NANO Laboratory - Nucleus of Arts and New Organisms, which was essential for me to recognize myself as an interdisciplinary artist and researcher.
There I started my research in diy and biodegradable materials. In the past 3 years I've started to be particularly attracted to the biofabrication processes and the creation of “things” with the collaboration and intervention of living beings: bacterial cellulose (yeast and bacteria) and mycelium composite (fungus).
previous projects¶
RUM_A
In the past 2 years, I’ve been focusing on a project called RUM_A: Multispecies Urban Refuge in Cluster (Refúgio Urbano Multiespécies em Algomeração, in Portuguese) which was my final project at the University. RUM_A is a project about the importance of consciously and dialogically coexisting with other living beings as a strategy for survival and finding other ways to live in the ruins of the Antrhopocene. In practical terms, it takes the form of a refuge that aims to give space for native bees to nest and re-occupy the urban spaces of the Atlantic Forest (Brasil’s coastal biome). RUM_A is made of mycelium and sawdust composite.
The proposal is to promote, observe and experience multispecies cohabitation in urban spaces, specifically, native bees, plants, fungi and humans. In this sense, the project develops a refuge/object named RUM_A that seeks to increase nesting opportunities for native bees in urban and peri-urban areas. Pedagogically, it seeks to raise awareness in relation to environmental issues.
In the end of 2021, RUM_A was selected to participate in the Driving the Human Festival. RUM_A was presented to the public as a multimedia installation including the first prototype of the project made with mycelium composite and a 8’20’’ video. you can check more about my participation in the festival here
video:
The project is still in process: testing with the beings involved.
Expandable bodies
Moved by the questions: “What is the minimun to become another?” and “What’s the maximun to keep being?” the artist researchs materials and textures making ficional narratives expressed in photos and videos to investigate and play with the physical and abstracts limits of the human body.
Video:
Biomaterials research
Interested in the textures and possibilities of non-conventional, compostable and ecologically coherent materials, I started to reseach diy materials and apply them in design and art projects in the Laboratory. During the reseach I was absorbed by the live materials that could participate and afect the process and started to work with bacterial cellulose and mycelium composites. With my material research I could participate in some events and laboratories and had the opportunity to teach in workshop format.
You can find a little bit more about my work here: https://claraacioli.com/
Or follow my new projects and developments here @cadaclara