visions
2020.05
Kombucha Baby
The kombucha textile has an uncanny similarity to the skin, or a piece of chicken. Something that’s alive or once was alive, and can make people uncomfortable to look at. People are often too disgusted to touch the textile at first, and don’t want it near them. However curiosity often overpowers this aversion. The textile is slimy, wet, dense and strong. The similarities to the skin are explored extensively during this research, this resulted in footage that emphasized the more uncomfortable side of the fabric. At this point the kombucha baby was born.
To provoke is a way to draw the user’s attention, stimulate engagement necessary to make a shift in perception. Back in the day, preserved babies were still born used to learn from and understand human anatomy. Kombutex can be addressed in the same way, a new material that still needs to be discovered and understood correctly. Kombucha is alive, when a piece of textile is grown, a mother culture is used that kickstarts the fermentation process and provides nutrients. Similar to how a baby gets nutrients through the navel cord. The new film layer is often referred to as a baby as well. The Kombucha Baby shows the textile as the ultimate visualization of life.
