Botanical Fur

Botanical Fur consists of two series and focuses on the plasticity and morphogenetic control of fur-like botanical systems. Botanical Fur series one (aerial trichomes) comprises 4 miniature textiles (3 x 2 cm each) presented as a group and made of plant hairs from the Cactaceae family using traditional textile techniques including knotting, tufting and embroidery.

The project asks: How can plant systems inform a new textile design practice? What can be learnt from the mechanics of hair production in the plant world? Is it possible to control the architecture of plant root-hairs to grow fur-like textiles in vitro? And can crafting textiles be used to critically engage with notions of scarcity in the natural world?

The plant material is sourced from UK specialists nurseries where cactus are grown from seeds. These ‘miniature trichome textiles’ are designed to showcase the precious value of slow-grown material from a plant family with species now endangered in the wild referencing fast and slow rhythms of biofabrication found in the plant world to highlight the need to care for our limited natural resources.

Botanical Fur series two (root-hairs) explores plant tissue culture techniques and the biomechanical properties of trichomes to grow textile assemblies in vitro using phototropism and gravitopism biological responses inherent to plant systems. Botanical Fur leverages traditional textile hand craft (series one) combined with plant tissue culture (series two) to highlight resource scarcity and rhythms of biofabrication found in the plant world.

• https://www.centrepompidou.fr/cpv/agenda...