Who are the material protagonists and how do we relate to them for a locally productive city? Are they native, invasive or seen as useful?
How are these materials understood, what are their growth cycles and which possibilities do they offer? Where are they located, where else would they thrive and why?
Through a taxonomy of dye matter, a deep dive into the botanical dimension through a plant catalogue and a color catalogue, we map geographically and personally what are the opportunities and relations to uncover what are the conditions for these to thrive.
What are the tools necessary to transition towards a locally productive city that enables learning and uncovering color opportunities in a seamless way, while we go about our lives? How can tools enable participation at different levels, supporting community growth and knowledge? Can open and accessible tools inform craftsmanship and production differently?
Through educational material we share informal pathways to uncover deeper knowledge, local color crafts tools that enable stepping into individual and collective discovery journeys rather than impose a path. Through open-source hardware we bridge craftspeople with in-depth knowledge to access new technologies. By providing design tools for communities, we are able to enable localised change, small and big.
Do processes shape the way we understand possibilities and challenges of an enabling city? Which flows need to be uncovered, connected and what changes and challenges emerge from this process? How do we relate to production and crasftmanship processes? What role does technology play in uncovering and reconnecting human and natural cycles?
The way resources and actions intersect, is always through a set of processes - flows that uncover societal thinking and customs. When we restructure flows departing from a values-driven approach, rather than cost-effectiveness and speed, new relations are formed and other flows emerge - ones that are in sync with both the living matter at hand and with the performers of the activities. This relation changes how we perceive both.
How can we facilitate (new) connections and create other norms of value exchange? Can we enable an infrastructure that supports communities and networks in their development? Local Color envisions a collaborative system defined and connected through shared values that are respectfully adaptive to one another. A system that taps into the city’s existing potential through the exchange and repurposing of material streams while fostering sustainable practices among local stakeholders and communities.
In systems, we explore and map stakeholders, structures and relations to understand how we can enable transformation towards a locally productive (eco)system based on sustainable and circular practices.
Which values and what stories can we find in the way people work with plants, natural dyes and community? What overarching narrative do these stories form, and how do these stories inspire new research questions? Can we assemble a vocabulary and bring together a community that fosters a supportive (caring) culture for this local value chain to happen?
With our TextileLab approach and values as a starting point, we capture stories, compile a glossary and organise events. With all these parts we want to paint a picture of a culture that fosters collaboration, care and holistic thinking. One that helps us see alternative possibilities and supports the change from dominant global chains, to bottom-up, local chains.