Samples of Touchy-Feely Algae samples.
Faculty: Yeseul Song, ITP
Collaborator: Priyanka Makin (’24 ITP)
Supported by the Collaborative Impact Grant 2024-2025, TINAD Fellowship 2023, Future Imagination Collaboratory Fellowship 2020
This collaborative research between ITP faculty member, Yeseul Song and ITP alum, Priyanka Makin, has focused on identifying and developing sustainable fabrication materials for art-making and prototyping, offering alternatives to acrylic—one of the most popular commonly used materials for digital fabrication. Material Kitchen led by @yeseulsong_ and @priyankasomething is a research initiative and resource for sustainable materials empowered by community engagement. The team has been working to reshape ‘what looks cool’ in physical projects by presenting new aesthetics and creative possibilities of sustainable materials.
With the Collaborative Impact Grant, the team unpacked the tactile potential of plant-based biomaterials and designed an application to the field of physical computing by making conductive agar agar based biomaterials.
The collaboration has yielded significant results: an exhibition of initial outcomes at the "This Is Not A Drill" show at NYU's Bobst Library supported by Tisch Creative Research, organized seven workshops both within and beyond the ITP department including one at @oshwassociation Summit 2025 this year, engagement with students, faculty, staff, as well as biomaterial researchers in the field, the creation of comprehensive educational materials, and a physical and online resource providing access to both off-the-shelf and DIY alternative materials. The project can be explored further at here.