Fionnáin reviewed Material Acts by Kate Yeh Chiu
Material Experimentations
4 stars
This book accompanied an exhibition in LA showcasing different artists, designers and architects experimenting with environmentally, ethically or socially sustainable materials. It was gifted to me by someone who attended the exhibition; I did not see it in person. Experiments documented ranged from timber cutters that used the offcuts from planks to materials grown from fungi or seaweed.
The book is beautifully designed, clear and easy to read, with great signposting for references. It is a strong documentation of both an exhibition and a thought process, including interviews and narrative essays. The views are centred on this exhibition so don't tend to reference other similar projects in different countries or areas, but this is not really an issue in a publication that is reflecting an exhibition. Overall, this is a really nice compendium and it didn't require any insight into the exhibition itself – it is a great standalone …
This book accompanied an exhibition in LA showcasing different artists, designers and architects experimenting with environmentally, ethically or socially sustainable materials. It was gifted to me by someone who attended the exhibition; I did not see it in person. Experiments documented ranged from timber cutters that used the offcuts from planks to materials grown from fungi or seaweed.
The book is beautifully designed, clear and easy to read, with great signposting for references. It is a strong documentation of both an exhibition and a thought process, including interviews and narrative essays. The views are centred on this exhibition so don't tend to reference other similar projects in different countries or areas, but this is not really an issue in a publication that is reflecting an exhibition. Overall, this is a really nice compendium and it didn't require any insight into the exhibition itself – it is a great standalone book and interesting to see some of the cutting edge of design and art using uncommon material processes in the 2020s.