Workshop: Chitin [C8H13NO5]

Julia Ihls

It’s found in the shells of insects and crabs, and even in the cell walls of fungi – chitin. After cellulose, this organic compound is one of the most abundant structural biomolecules. But what would a textile material look like if it weren’t woven from (plant) fibers, but instead cast from chitin? And what could it be used for? Chitin, from the Ancient Greek χιτών chitón – shell, armor. From wearables and artificial exoskeletons to temporary spatial folds: in the experimental hands-on workshop C8H13NO5, students explored the basic methods of biodesign with a particular focus on chitin-based bioplastics, creating theirown biomaterial, and developing speculative design applications.

Julia Ihls is an interdisciplinary researcher and designer working at the intersections of (natural) philosophy, media theory, and spatial scenography. Since April 2021, she has been heading the Bio Design Lab at the Karlsruhe University of Arts and Design, where – alongside teaching and curating – she conducts research on new (bio)materials and convivialism.

Participants: Adriana Finghis, Weichen Zhou, Laura Chalabi, Hannah Hölbling, Helene Hochrieser, Mirjana Mihajlovic, Mauritius ltzinger, Louisa Petermann, Eliso Okropiridse, Anouk Lucas, Lena, Maria Kurath, Dominik Einfalt, Simone Köhler, Nina Wandruszka, Konstantina Hornek, Márton Emil Tóth, Sabrina Kliese

2025W