Re-Forming Materials

Beschreibung:: Our Project "Re-Forming Materials" was part of the 19th International Architecture Exhibition, La Biennale di Venezia, curated by Carlo Ratti
Bauherr:: Biennale Architettura 2025 - Intelligens. Natural. Artificial. Collective
Standort:: La Biennale di Venezia (Corderie/Artiglierie dell´Arsenale)
Zeitraum:: Mai - November 2025
Projektteam:: René Rissland, Robert M. Hazen, Matthias Massari, Martina Dietrich, Sofia Pfister, Jürgen Lehmeier, Martin Kotissek, Stephan Dietrich, Katrin Wenk, Tobias Günther, Maximilian Wendler, Gerd Frese, Josef Kirchner, Özlem Yüce, Margaret Hindle Hazen, Suzana Ivankovic, Collaborators: Christof Kreutzer Camera Art Technical Collaborators: Tragraum Ingenieure PartmbB, Alfons Schmid Metallbau, Thanks to: terra ignota project Supporters: Carnegie Institution of Washington, Geophysical Laboratory; George Mason University; Deep Carbon Observatory; Hudson Institute of Mineralogy; Andreas Massanek, Mineralogical Collections and terra mineralia; Winfried Wirth, Maxhütte Steelworks ret. (Technical Director); Walter Pirner (Chemical and Process Engineer); Harald Zeitler, gh AUER GUSS GmbH (Managing Director); Bernd Wagner, Wagner GmbH & Co. KG Sport Signage (CEO); Vintage Computing Lab Munich

Human material turnover has grown so much that there is now an average of one kilogram of concrete for every square metre of earth’s surface. The use, weathering, and decay of buildings have created new minerals and mineral-like materials. Others were formed in mines, through fires in coal seams, or when waste materials decomposed in landfills. Over 200 of the 5,208 officially known minerals are now attributed to human creation. Re-Forming Materials features a cloud of anthropogenic minerals hanging in the air, and includes information about the locations of where they were found and the process of their formation.