As the sun sets at BioArt Laboratories on the 27th of October, we look back at a successful week with ‘The Symbiocene Forest – Coexistance’. Many visitors viewed the works in wonder, listened attentively to the artists while reflecting on themselves within the Symbiocene. The Brabant, farm-like appearance of the monumental bunkers complimented the nature-rich surroundings, the warm weather, the many artworks and activities on site, creating a rustic and inviting atmosphere for our visitors.

This year’s theme is coexistence – a vital concept in our current world. As we face global challenges like climate change, biodiversity loss, and social inequality, it has never been more important to seek out connections and live together as one integrated whole. Through the Symbiocene Forest, people explored how we can harmonize with nature, rather than dominate it, and how we can foster deeper relationships between humans, animals, and the environment. With more than 53 artists and designers showcasing their works, the works range from applied biomaterials through experimentation, non-human design, medium of expression by nature, to alternative perspectives on nature, learning, and reflection upon the Antroposcene and Symbiocene. Visitors explored and enjoyed the exposition on their own pace, free from the daily life of busyness and creating time for artists to share their stories, perspectives and experiences. This year, the public also accessed the first floor of the main exhibition for the first time, with each room and space captivating every work to the fullest.

Works like “Reflections on Disturbed Cycles”from Studio Berkveldt captivated the audience through a simulacrum of day and night cyclus, showing the impact of artificial light to life. In the Curiosa chamber, a hand-knotted wool rug hangs between the various curiosa objects, immediately drawing the attention of every visitor to Ariane Shirvani’s work ‘Yellow to Blue’, where her research-based work highlights the role of bio-materials in promoting both climate resilience and sustainability in design. A large vitrine filled with wool draws the curious visitor to the works ‘DieKies’ and ‘Wool Matters: Exploring the role of wool in the weaving of landscapes’, each highlighting an aspect of wool in creative expression. Upstairs, STARTEL’s work ‘Living Colour Flies’ aims to capture the traces of a short-lived life of the Calliphora Vomitoria, created through a time graph in organic disorder comparable to a Jackson Pollock. Outside, Catinca Tilea’s ‘HOW to hope to be’ is the culmination of multiple people working together to grow biobricks out of mycellium and household waste. This demonstrates how biotechnology and community action can work together to build more resilient societies for the future. Sound artworks such as ‘Calling Songs’ from Johannes Westendorp – a research into the possibilities of making music with the natural sounds of insects, frogs and toads – brought the serene yet vivid soundscape inside the exposition.

During the Dutch Design Week, visitors participated in a myriad of activities. We’ve seen them participate in our interactive workshops such as ‘WordGlyph: Turn Words into Shapes’ – sparking intergenerational interaction and shared learning on the Symbiocene, ‘Willow Weaving’ – handcrafting willow bracelets with return to playful exploration of natural spaces, and ‘From Anthropocene to Symbiocene’ – joining the experiment to take step by step towards the Symbiocene. People join various tours that offer an enriching experience of the exposition: from the backstory of the monumental complex of BioArt Village, the explorative research that takes place within the walls, to the artists that present their works to the public. They partake in thought-provoking discussions with our firepit debate, where new perspectives allowed them to switch and change their stance midway through. Overall, BioArt Laboratories’ participation in the Dutch Design Week 2024 solidified its position as a trailblazer in the ever-evolving landscape of bio-inspired creativity, shaping people’s perceptions of the natural world and the possibilities for sustainable, harmonious coexistence between humans and the environment.

These are just a small sample of the works during the exposition ‘ The Symbiocene Forest – Coexistence’. You can read up on these and many more on our website.