I'M: INHALABLE MATTER
A symbiosis of nature and technologies / Project by Intelligent Morphology (IM-A) Studio
This investigation is focused on a shift between an anthropocentric approach and a system where air, greenery, mycelium, technologies and humans are equal participants in the environment. There are multiple networks that function simultaneously and adjust to each other to evolve together.
It is an experimental study and a desire to find out a set of rules that have to be defined to develop new symbiotic landscapes and spaces. The movement of water inside the tree trunk compared to the movement of a walking person, spreading of mycelium network under his feet or constantly changing wind breath - how all of this is connected through the notion of time as a part of the city infrastructure? Which kind of bio-hybrid and synthetic systems has to be interwoven to respond to current and future planet’s needs?
Different types of species and devices occupy the Earth’s surface, which introduces physical and digital layers to it. Human behaviour patterns are accelerating and transfer to fast-paced environments. Spaces have to adjust constantly to their interactions. The rigid spaces are getting outdated. At the same time, Nature is going the same way as before except for the strong human invasion. It creates unpredicted outcomes, not just in terms of climate change but of how artificial and natural interact. The environment is changing from rigid to flexible, from the solidified form to actual process. It is easier to update (infrastructure) software than concrete buildings where we spend most of the time. The question is where the existing spaces fall behind in an age where technology is accelerating and what kind of systematic updates they currently need? Which kind of semi-natural and semi-synthetic systems are evolving?
It is significantly important how we interact with those complex systems. Does the digital interface help to connect to the natural environment? There never was a clear distinction between the real world and thoughts because just thinking about something we experience a body reaction.
As a new step, the borders between digital and physical are getting blurred. We are all surrounded by a series of devices and interfaces that are constantly loading our data and pass information through. We connect to another human, physical object or system and as a result, we use both physical communication and a synthetic (digital) one.
The same happens with aesthetics. Our goal is to purify and systemise our environments. On one side, we try to hide death and eliminate imperfection in our aspiration have control over everything. On the other side, as complex organisms, we are attracted to deviations (imperfections) and we want to feel connected to nature. It is important if we feel related to things not just at the mental level but also at the physical (body) level. We detect if it has a synthetic, semi-digital or nature-made origin but it also could be a mixture to correspond all requirements. The interaction has its own aesthetic now as a part of the system.
Project “I’M/Inhalable Matter” is a decentralized “living organism” that integrates into existing spaces to form new environments. I’M supervises inhabitants and visitors with true nature experience and optimal climatic balance. It is a synthesis of different technologies and can be a required revision (update) for existing spaces that could be added to the dense cities as an additional multifunctional layer or new spatial environment. It reintroduces nature in a very sensitive way where the true nature principals merge with human requirements to re-engage both sides.
The green world is as a distinct matter, another form of life that lives in different time frames. What is going on with us as part of those complex systems? What do we expect from the environment where all participants are equal?
Lead Architects: Katya Bryskina, Nataly Nemkova, Alexandr Hodyakov
Team: Jana Sukhotskaya, Artem Atrashevsky
