Philipp Kolmann
Austria/BIO ART & DESIGN/
Philipp studied Industrial Design in Ferblach and FoodnonFood at the Design Academy in Eindhoven. In his design practice, he looks at microbes, fungi, animals and plants as collaborators. He believes it is essential for our planet's future and humanity's future to reinvent our attitudes towards life forms around us. "Bacteria and fungi are an invisible link between humans, other animal species and the land we inhabit."
Both for his work as a chef, dairy farmer and designer, topics such as microbiological change and fermentation have been central for many years. "Through food, smell and taste, microbes can create a connection with our environment." As a designer, Kollman sees it as his goal that smell and taste are better understood, recognized and applied as valuable, physical and local cultural data. Smell and taste have become instruments in his work, with which he touches people through physical experiences, both as a chef and designer
PRESENTING
Throughout my development period I was able to deeply dive into global sweetgrass cultures. Those relationships of the cultivated plant species such as corn,rice and cereals - and their subsequent relationships with bacteria and molds - help us to make this plant family not only easier to digest but also very tasty. Those exact interdependencies that shaped our bodies and our surrounding lands so deeply.
One could say that because of those undeniable collaborations we entered with other species we are human. Actually they allow us to become more than human.
These explorations, stories from the land and its multiple species have been expressed and shared through a multi sensorial installation and 8 course menu. Together with Mediematic as a hosting organization and Suzanne Bernhardt as my collaborator through the whole year of development.
Image credits : Paula Prats
Collaborator: Suzanne Bernhardt
Hosting Institute: mediamatic