Text by CLOT Magazine
This week we are looking forward to returning to Biofabricate, the annual summit on grown materials, as it comes to New Lab in Brooklyn (United States). The summit brings together the global community of biologists, designers, entrepreneurs, and thinkers for a single face-paced day to document and discuss biotechnology in the new material revolution.
This year’s conference will centre on five themes. Microbiome: designing for health; plastic: turning problems into solutions; and symbiosis: collaboration driving innovation. Growth: evolving materials; and Strategy: growing the future. With keynote presentations from Larry Weiss, Chief Medical Officer at AO Biome, Cyrill Gutsch of Parley for the Oceans, Gabor Forgacs of Modern Meadow, and Karl Schmieder of MessagingLAB, Biofabricate 2017 is shaping up to be the premier spot for seeing the future of grown materials.
We are especially excited for Biofabricate founder and Modern Meadow Chief Creative Officer, Suzanne Lee, to moderate a panel on Plastic with Parley for the Oceans’ Cyrill Gutsch and Molly Morse of Mango Materials as well as a dialogue between Christina Agapakis and Natsai Chieza from Ginkgo Bioworks (both of whom have been previously interviewed for CLOT), and Amy Trejo from Procter & Gamble moderated by Liz Stinson of the American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA) on collaborations between artists and designers in the industry.
This year’s summit will also have a Design Lab Exhibition and Bio Lab to see up-close products and samples from Ecovative, BiotA Lab, and Faber Futures and, not to forget, Modern Meadow’s Zoa, their college-derived, biofabricated leather brand, with an all-black version of their iconic graphic-tee currently on display in the Museum of Modern Art’s exhibit ‘Items: Is Fashion Modern?’
Between the thought-provoking conversation and vivid visual exhibits, Biofabricate 2017 is the cant-miss showcase of the biocrafted future.
