Barbara Pollini, designer and researcher, has recently developed a series of handmade sculptures titled Designed Wilderness: Minimum Viable Ecosystems. These works serve as an experiment in exploring bio-receptive design through craftsmanship, slow colonization, and the Art of Noticing. This approach, which Pollini calls slow biodesign, contrasts sharply with the rapid pace of plastic 3D printing.
Compared to the speed of plastic printing, natural processes like fungal growth or spontaneous colonization take time. This introduces continuous change and a deeper relationship with transformation.
Based on this concept and her project, we delve into the idea of design serving biodiversity with Pollini.
Bio-receptivity in Materials
At the core of Pollini’s research is the concept of bio-receptivity, defined as a material’s ability to be colonized by living organisms (as per Guillitte’s 1995 definition). This theme is central to her doctoral thesis, which begins with a fundamental question: what role do inert materials play in sustaining life?
Throughout Earth’s history, there’s always an inert component hosting the first forms of life, like microorganisms, microalgae, fungi, or lichens. This led me to explore the crucial role of inert materials in supporting life – explains Pollini.
Part of her practical research involved collaboration with lichenologist Tania Contardo. Their goal was to create surfaces that could act as “nurseries” for lichens—organisms used to monitor air quality. Given the slow growth of lichens and the limited amount of material available for biomonitoring, this innovative approach sought to overcome the constraints of natural collection by offering a non-invasive method to cultivate lichens in controlled environments. Regarding this collaboration, Pollini notes:
Designers and scientists work with different approaches: designers experiment with many variables, while scientists prefer more controlled testing. This collaboration can accelerate and enrich both processes.
Within the year-and-a-half timeframe of her doctoral studies, Pollini conducted numerous tests exploring different textures, colors, and porosities to maximize spontaneous colonization and lichen transplantation. Given the slow growth of lichens, she also experimented with mosses, which propagate more quickly.
Initially discussed mainly in architectural contexts for building facades and cladding, bio-receptivity was later expanded in the article Bioreceptive Interfaces for Biophilic Urban Resilience (B. Pollini, T. Contardo, D. Paciotti, V. Rognoli, 2023). This paper highlights how the concept can be applied to design surfaces and materials that actively support the growth of organisms, creating ecosystems designed to foster biodiversity.
Designed Wilderness: Sculptures as Ecosystems
After completing her doctorate, Pollini continued her research independently, experimenting with a series of ceramic sculptures titled Designed Wilderness: Minimum Viable Ecosystems. These pieces are designed to encourage spontaneous colonization by living organisms, transforming over time into small ecosystems. Each sculpture becomes an experiment and an invitation to observe the slow interaction between nature and the artificial.
I’ve created sculptures with specific textures and porosities to foster the spontaneous colonization of mosses, lichens, and small insects, transforming them into objects that stimulate the discovery of nature – Pollini explains.
This exercise embodies the Art of Noticing, a practice Pollini often engages in—slow, attentive observation of a particular environment, fostering a habitual awareness of natural dynamics often overlooked by passersby.
The bio-receptive sculptures evolve slowly, following nature’s rhythms, becoming colonized and transformed, and acting as catalysts for new life forms. These sculptures are much more than artistic objects; they can be seen as “habitable spaces” or living laboratories, demonstrating how design can contribute to multispecies coexistence. In a time when biodiversity loss is one of the greatest global challenges, Pollini’s project offers valuable insights into how design can support and celebrate life in all its forms.
Bio-receptive sculptures can be educational tools, encouraging children and adults to observe and interact with biodiversity in their environment.
This approach could also have practical applications on a larger scale: from bio-receptive building materials like facades to everyday objects that promote urban biodiversity, the possibilities are vast. At the same time, the relational and contemplative aspects of the sculptures invite people to slow down and reconnect with nature, even in domestic or urban settings. For more information on the project, visit Healing Materialities and follow Barbara Pollini on Instagram!
