This hands-on workshop introduces participants to the development of biomaterials through the making of bioplastics connected to the local landscape. The session begins with a short contextual introduction to Portugal’s ecological conditions, with particular attention to ongoing desertification processes, especially in the southern regions. This framing invites participants to consider how environmental change shapes the availability and meaning of natural resources.

Participants will engage in guided material experimentation using ingredients that hold local significance, such as soils from Alentejo and water from the Tejo, combined with base components commonly used to produce bioplastics. Through mixing, heating, and casting these materials, participants will observe how variations in ingredients influence the physical and visual qualities of the resulting bioplastics.

Rather than focusing solely on producing a finished material sample, the workshop emphasizes the process of decision-making as a form of ecological thinking. Participants will be encouraged to reflect on how choices of materials, proportions, and techniques relate to broader environmental conditions and resource use. By sharing methods and observations in a collaborative setting, the workshop aims to foster dialogue and offer practical and conceptual tools that participants can adapt within their own creative and research practices.

No prior knowledge required. Participants should wear comfortable clothing appropriate for manual activities.

Felipe Shibuya is a Brazilian ecologist and artist who explores nature’s visual and communicative signals through bioart, biodesign, and microbiological media.