Kristina Vantasi

Materials: Bioplastic, Mycelium
Ingredients: Coffee ground, cardboard, glycerin, agar agar Chia seeds, cough drop, cereal, candles, gold flakes, powder blush, glitter, flowers, black ink
Processes: Sterilization, boiling, drying, casting, etc.
Tools: Measuring cups, tablespoons/teaspoons, pots, containers
Timeline: 2 -6 weeks

In my material exploration for bioplastics, I focused on food and household items with different gelatin and starch. I mixed the individual objects/ingredients with water and glycerin and boiled them for several minutes to form a thick liquid. I noticed I had the best results with agar agar powder because it had faster drying time which was necessary when using thicker molds. When using corn starch my bioplastic was quick to mold because the amount of water in the mixture couldn’t dry fast enough along with the cornstarch. When experimenting with mycelium, I noticed cardboard had the best results. The cardboard mycelium demonstrated the fastest growth and an interesting texture. After a few weeks the mycelium formed a soft fluffy texture and I could observe water drops because of the moisture. Luckily the moisture was controlled enough to avoid molding in the casting. Inspired by my interest in coffee I decided to combine coffee grounds with cardboard in hopes of a fast growth. The texture of this experiment was slightly different as there were little bumps and the mycelium was more solid.