The doer’s rush: contemplation is a designer lost skill

Abstract

The desire of creative practices is now to make. By the one hand, artists, designers (and engineers) did too much, rushing the harmful crisis humans experience worldwide - there is the neglect of the thinking, the observing, the contemplating. Although we are witnessing a post-Bauhaus era in design and education, the effects of the Bauhaus school are still very present in design school agendas. However, the New European Bauhaus initiative as a solution to tackle global problems should be challenged since it may fall short for the post-colonialist and ecological feminism theories. Bacterial cellulose (BC) is a nanopolymer mainly produced by Komagateibacter spp. BC synthesis is slow and happens by the occurrence of a plethora of biochemical processes. Since all these biological processes occur at the nano and micrometer scale it is relevant to explore them with the naked eye, allowing the creative thinking to expand the comprehension throughout the act of contemplation and observation. This essay explores the materiality of BC production as materiality of contemplation. Therefore, the materiality here explored is not narrowed by any expected result or successful outcome originating from the scientific, artistic and design practice. The urge is no more to make and biodesigners might be the last hope for an ethical generation of practitioners.