Araneo, an innovative bioplastic, was developed in 2018 during a course by the Materiability Research Group at Anhalt University, with contributions from Prof. Dr. Manuel Kretzer, Prof. Dr. Sina Mostafavi, Toni Pasternak, Anian Till Stoib, Iwan Mazlan, Mohamed Mansour, Jakob Emmerling, and Gulfia Kutlahmetova. Created in the Biolab of Anhalt University, a hub for the development of numerous biomaterials, Araneo provides a solution to global problems:
"Lighting accounts for a large percentage of global electricity consumption and considerable percentage of worldwide greenhouse gas emissions. At the same time, an estimated 16 percent of the world’s population lacks access to modern energy services. Light is one of Germany’s most energy-consuming fields in terms of power usage. One percent of all electrical currents in Germany are used to power streetlights and guidance lights and about 40% of all power generated in Germany is made in lignite-fired power plants. In addition to the power usage, light pollution became a massive problem in larger cities. The Araneo project thus proposes a different approach towards urban lighting to create less wasteful products and a more comfortable atmosphere for pedestrians. Araneo is a self-luminescent lighting system, made from a highly flexible biodegradable material, which makes it easy to be applied on basically any given surface, like trees, walls or ceilings. The project was produced using a very fine and highly detailed robotically manufactured mould. After having a series of one-to-one scale tests on various moulds with different morphologies and sizes, the final outcome reached 1.2 meters in length and width."
(Materiability Research Group. (2018). Bioplastic Robotic Materialization. Materiability.)
Photos: Toni Pasternak, Anian Till Stoib, Iwan Mazlan, Mohamed Mansour, Jakob Emmerling and Gulfia Kutlahmetova
Photos: Toni Pasternak, Anian Till Stoib, Iwan Mazlan, Mohamed Mansour, Jakob Emmerling and Gulfia Kutlahmetova
In 2023, upon request from the "Neues Museum Nürnberg," we, Helena Luise Kluge and Joan Leonie Prange, focused on researching and further developing this project. Araneo was part of the "Material+" exhibition, which addressed questions about the future of design.
Photos: Annette Kradisch, Neues Museum Nürnberg, 2023
Photos: Annette Kradisch, Neues Museum Nürnberg, 2023
Photos: Annette Kradisch, Neues Museum Nürnberg, 2023
A project from 2022.