Caffeinated Landscapes
Yiran Ma
Bioplastic, mycelium
2023

When contemplating coffee, individuals often view it as a naturally procured daily source for maintaining motivation and energy in the fast-paced society. While an increasing number of people have grown accustomed to consuming freshly ground coffee from cafes and restaurants, few are aware of the environmental problems stemming from coffee production. In my experience operating a coffee shop, I gained insights into the severe ecological issues arising from coffee production. Beyond the deforestation resulting from exploitative coffee cultivation, coffee grounds, being acidic, pose harm to the soil and numerous plant species.

This project devises a system for cafes and restaurants to repurpose coffee grounds and other waste into bio art sculptures. These sculptures feature miniature landscapes created by combining mycelium (cultivated to feed on coffee grounds) and bioplastics (derived from recycled waste materials). The final sculptures highlight the tension between the material and natural worlds. Although coffee represents a vital natural resource extracted from the soil, exploitative coffee production driven by capitalism disrupts the balance of nature, resulting in a considerable amount of industrial waste from coffee-related products. Beyond transforming waste into materials, the sculptures aspire to heighten awareness of the environmental issues arising from coffee production, encouraging audiences to reflect deeply on their connections with nature in the material world.