The exposition “Designing the Living” (La fabrique du vivant) looks back at the archeology of the living and artificial life and presents the most important creations and innovations in the domains of art, design, architecture, and music with works by 50 creatives. The exhibit’s material evolves; certain works call upon processes of growth or degeneration. A hundred projects are shown, several of which were imagined especially for the occasion.

This day features a dialogue between the exhibition’s curators and artists in the fields of biotechnologies, human and social sciences on the major themes addressed: engineering nature and bio-materials, programming the living and modelling the living, evolving systems and bio-computational architecture.

1:30-2:30pm | Introduction

Marie-Ange Brayer and Olivier Zeitoun, curators 

2:30-4pm | Engineering Nature

Between nature and technology, design calls upon “bio-fabrication”, on new “disruptive technologies” of the living that do not lead to a form, but to a process.
Bio materials, made with biological organisms (mushroom mycelium, Laminar seaweed, bacteria, yeasts, etc.) lead to new, sustainable, and biodegradable objects. Design provides research with new morphologies inspired by life.

Led by Jan Boelen (Z33 Hasselt / Atelier LUMA)
With Eric Klarenbeek and Maartje Dros (artists),
Maurizio Montalti (Officina Corpuscoli, The Netherlands),
David Benjamin (architect),
Teresa van Dongen (designer),
Guillian Graves (designer),
Stéphane Douady (physicist, director of research CNRS).

4-4:30pm | Break

4:30-6pm | Program the Living

Today, artists explore the “living” in laboratories by diving into the heart of material and the invisible, questioning boundaries between the living and the non-living. Here, life sciences, genetic engineering, molecular biology, tissue cultures are used as an artistic medium. A new, living materiality is explored, raising the question of the role of humans in their environment.

Led by Olivier Zeitoun (Centre Pompidou)
With Amy Karle (artist),
Hongjie Yang (designer, researcher),
Alexandra Daisy Ginsberg (artist, designer),
Julian Melchiorri (engineer, designer),
Donald Ingber (biologist and director of the Wyss Institute, University of Harvard),
Philippe Marlière (biologist).

6-7:30pm | Modelling the Living: Scalable Systems and Bio-Computational Architecture

The architects simulate scalable systems of living growth to develop a bio-computational architecture. The manipulation of natural phenomena is coupled with digital fabrication techniques to inaugurate a true meta-ecology. Micro-organisms transform into an architectural medium and construction material.

Led by Marie-Ange Brayer (Centre Pompidou)
With Claudia Pasquero (artist, EcologicStudio),
Marcos Cruz (artist),
Anouk Legendre (XTU Architects, Paris),
Spela Petric (artist),
Jean Luc Hervé (composer),
Annick Lesne (physicist, director of research CNRS).