PROCESSES

all the paths from growing urban natural resources to dye baths, extracts and printing processes

Processes are something in constant evolution, as technology changes, our understanding of how matter is dyed and fixated, or how plants and molecules produce color that can be used progresses. Natural dyes are one of the oldest processes that humankind has mastered, all over the world, based on their local resources. We now know, that even prehistorical people were able to dye linen in a variety of colours, based on the discoveries of micro fragments of fibers from the Dudzduana caves in Georgia.

Local Color takes a wide variety of processes, from seed or bacteria to dyed or printed garments, and rearranges these in the urban context. Processes that can be scaled to lab or city setting, matching resources that are locally available are brought together to shape maps and blueprints for change, knowledge, linking communities and practitioners.

INTERACTIVE PROCESSES MAP

from seed & soil, bacteria & medium, to dyed fibers, textiles & garment

The local color dye processes map is organised in parallel flows that connect and uncover every step necessary. Departing from different natural resource categories, the “6 domains” of our taxonomy, they look at the matter involved, the assist and mordants, binding these to the concrete steps or actions performed by the practitioners & communities. They make opportunities and challenges tangible, in a visual format, opening up the conversation of how we can evolve towards a locally productive city for locally produced and used colors.

Explore our flow-maps

human activities to process natural colours from seed, spore or bacteria to dye

STARTING PROCESSES

Germinating, caring, transferring & inoculating

plants catalogue icon

GROW LOCAL DYES

each plant page holds information about the growing conditions

plant grow info

BIOSHADES - BACTERIAL DYES PROCESSES

explore our bioshades project, open sourcing bacterial dyes processes

DIY BIOTECH

SEED & SEEDLING SHARING

our seed & seedling sharing campaign to promote local growing of dye plants

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PROCESSING

from living matter to dye matter & back

Explore how productive the city can be

PREPARING, DYEING & EXTRACTING

from matter to colors

MORDANTS, TANNINS & ASSIST

explore the notions behind preparing fibers, textiles or garments

she makes dye process

DYEING & PRINTING

all the flows from dry matter to colourful textiles

LAKE PIGMENTS

working in a 0-waste process