Rabbit faeces, Starch

Sphan: The land of rabbits

In this research project the artist explored the possibilities of natural materials and primitive technologies while using only site-specific materials. Which were sourced from a less than 100 meter radius, to reflect on sustainable practices and present the natural beauty of unique local materials.

During her residency, Austėja Platūkytė encountered wild rabbits in the area, which led her to research their digestive system and faeces. Rabbits are coprophagic animals, meaning, they reingest their own droppings in order to utilise nutrients that are initially absorbed ineffectively. These types of faeces are commonly known as 'night droppings' and are eaten immediately after defecation. Whereas, the pellets left behind by a rabbit are the final waste product of the night droppings following re-ingesting.

For the artist, this was a remarkable example of circularity in nature and an opportunity to experiment with a new alternative hay-like material. After weeks of collecting and processing, she created a biodegradable art object composed of rabbit faeces and starch-based bioplastic, that will decompose and find a new purpose back at the very spot where she collected the droppings from.

An abstract round-shaped object was created for the local rabbits – that's why it was made in rabbit-size scale, but the discussion behind the object is for humanity: do we need to replicate the natural process and 'eat the crap we create' if we want to extend our life on this planet and postpone the world ending scenarios?

Text submitted by the maker and edited by the Future Materials Bank. For information about reproducing (a part of) this text, please contact the maker.