Co-design: Towards a new ecological paradigm in art and design

Abstract

The article examines the rethinking of nature in contemporary art and design practices. Special attention is paid to the use of living organisms, which become a design tool and change the processes of production, agriculture, food culture, medicine, clothing, and energy sources. In numerous studies, design, done in conjunction with living organisms, has been identified as a new ecological paradigm that acts as a solution to the catastrophic consequences of the industrial revolution and modern production methods. In the academic field, the morphology of the new ecological paradigm has barely been formed. The paper analyzes an approach to art and design based on mimicry of nature, its imitation, and a biointegrated approach, using living materials and processes. It is concluded that both approaches are based on the same scientific method, which implies interdisciplinary design activities and collaboration between artists, designers, biologists and representatives of the respective scientific fields. Particular attention is paid to the description of terms with the prefix bio, such as biomorphism, biomimetics, biomimicry and bionics, which are part of the bio-inspired approach. We note the essential difference between biomimetics and biomimicry and the practice of biodesign, where living organisms are used as the main component of a product. Two ways of working with the living organism are highlighted: by choosing biological raw materials of plant, animal or microbial origin, and by the participation of the living component in the functioning of the product. Thus, the article shows how artists and designers within the new ecological paradigm work with living materials and attempt to move beyond a human-centered understanding towards design with nature. The conclusion identifies a number of challenges in scaling this practice and applying product prototypes to real-world production.