Durable color – TLmagazine
The Helsinki Design Museum recently exhibited the “Sustainable Color” exhibition curated by the Finnish Handicraft Museum, which has been made in collaboration with the BioColour project led by the University of Helsinki, Coloria.net and the Finnish Painters. The exhibition dealt with the use of natural colors, dyeing trends, the future and sustainable development, as well as various dyeing techniques and their ecology.
Although synthetic dyeing was an inevitable consequence of large-scale manufacturing and demand in the late 19th century, in recent years the search for more durable textile dyeing techniques has become a critical issue in fashion and design due to its massive contaminants. water use, chemical waste, toxic sludge and more. At the turn of the industry, designers and manufacturers are embracing ancient natural dyeing techniques as well as feed and organic materials to create beautiful dyes for clothing, artwork and home textiles. Through their work, social media channels, and books, a thriving movement has emerged that has inspired people to learn techniques and apply them to their daily lives. During the pandemic, while making sour bread was a trend, people tried onion peels and avocado peels in home dyeing studios. At the same time, scientists, designers, and innovative thinkers are using technology and biology to help find new opportunities for natural staining with microbes, wastewater, or bio-based materials. They are exploring how to make durable staining on a larger scale. able to meet global demand. Here are wavy initiatives, such as the BioColour research project in Helsinki.
Mikko Oikari, a senior curator at the Finnish Handicraft Museum, explains: “The future of bio-paints in industrial-scale production requires a careful study of the entire paint production chain. How is the toner isolated for use and are their compounds safe for the environment and human health? The dyeing process itself examines the dyeing methods, conditions, and excipients used, as well as the durability of the resulting dye under varying conditions. One solution for the future may be a completely anhydrous dyeing process. The type of toner to be used in the future depends a lot on our attitudes and demands on colors. Colors made from bio-based sources could be a natural part of our lifestyle, with an increasing emphasis on the origin, sustainable production and recycling of materials.
The exhibition featured works by several Finnish artists, such as Aino Favén, Päivi Fernström, Päivi Hintsanen, Maarit Humalajärvi, Ulla Lapiolahti, Saija Lehtonen, Tupu Mentu, Terhikki Mäkelä, Katja Syrjä, Pirjo Talvio-Pasanen, Päivi Vaarula and Krista Vajanto. , as well as numerous members of the Finnish Dyeing Guild and examples of biochemical research in the BioColour project.
Demonstrating traditional technologies alongside future-focused projects through the lenses of art, design, science, fashion and technology provides a realistic and convincing proposition on how we can begin to move away from our dependence on chemicals and unsustainable practices towards a more natural and ecologically better future in textiles.
Designmuseo.fi
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biocolour.fi
@ biocholor
askartelumuseo.fi
@ Finnish Museum of Art