Photographed by Devika Bilimoria
Photographed by Devika Bilimoria
Photographed by Devika Bilimoria
8th June 2010
I periodically am in touch with Pia Interlandi who is a researcher at Symbiotica in Western Australia and she has recently sent me some pictures of her latest work.
Picking up on the environmental issues of burial and the fact that more and more people are looking to natural earth burials without coffins and headstones, Pia is designing garments that will not only shroud the body in death,but will provide nutrients to the earth.
Researching into garments that dissolve over time she is using fibres such as hemp and buttons that are made from milk protein. The idea being that as the body decomposes so do the garments.
In order to do her research she is using pigs (she obviously cant be using people!). She has a series of pigs that she buries and exhumes to analyse the changes in her fabrics/materials.
The fabrics she designs are beautiful both before and after decomposition.
Using print and embroidery she takes design cues from nature - grass seeds/roots which she designs into patterns to recreate the pattern and form of the body that will be wearing it.
17th November 2009
I am intrigued about 'in memorandum' at the moment. There is a lot of design research considering cradle to cradle design literally - considering the waste of death as well as decomposition.
Pia Interlandi who is part of the team at Symbiotica in Australia is observing eco trends and considering trends in apparel and the funeral industries. Looking to composition, decomposition, dissolving and the potential of reincarnation she is creating a series of 'burial garments'. Asking the question what are we dressing for in death Pia highlights through her research that we are not dressing for our mind or our body and begins to consider what is involved in the fashioning of death.