Algae, Human Hair

Weaving Water

Weaving Water is an interwoven tapestry of algae and female human hair that aims to reconnect humans to the origin of our evolution, the sea. Weaving Water uses textile art as an agent to increase awareness about the connections between living systems. By entangling materials from the underworld (algae) with materials from the top world (female human hair), the artwork presents a new material ecology that can help humans feel re-threaded to the natural order. Bela believes that in the wake of resource depletion, there is an opportunity to co-create with and learn from, the intelligence of these abundant bio-materials like algae and human hair. Through bio-fabrication techniques that reweave lost heritage and female craftswomanship, Weaving Water helps push traditional narratives into new speculative formats.

Additional information

Bela took inspiration from the structure of seaweed farms to build and fabricate Weaving Water. She built a 2.4m by 1.5m timber loom to form the outer frame. The structure is held together by transparent strips of alginate and agar bioplastics cast with female human hair and dried seaweeds, cased in algae yarn. The materials are concoctions of different recipes and experiments that entangle human and nature into a single living entity. She used traditional techniques like manual sewing, knotting, woodwork, and wet felting, as well as digital fabrication techniques like laser cutting and CNC milling.

Information submitted by the maker and edited by the Future Materials Bank.

Ingredients