Materia Bruta
with Surzhana Radnaeva
2 Workshops Series
June 11 | 15
All sessions at 5:00 PM CEST. Online.
Each session: 1 hours
Early Bird Price €65.00
This hands-on workshop introduces participants to biomaterials through the making of bioplastics and biocomposites derived from algae extracts.
The focus is on accessible, low tech processes that offer a practical entry point into bio based materials and their applications in design, fashion, and everyday objects. The session combines material knowledge with experimentation, allowing participants to understand how these materials behave through direct making.
THE WORKSHOP
THE DETAILS*
The workshop begins with an introduction to biomaterials and bioplastics, focusing on algae as a renewable and versatile resource. Participants learn the basic principles behind bio based materials, including sourcing, composition, behaviour, and current uses and limitations.
The core of the session is dedicated to guided experimentation. Participants prepare and transform algae extracts into bioplastic samples, exploring variables such as texture, flexibility, thickness, and transparency.
The workshop then expands into biocomposites by integrating locally available or waste based materials such as crushed eggshells, leftover threads, coffee grounds, orange zest, and other organic residues. Participants are encouraged to bring small amounts of clean, dry organic materials to incorporate into their samples. Essential oils and natural dyes may also be used to explore scent and colour.
By the end of the workshop, you will:
Understand the basic principles of algae based bioplastics
Create your own bioplastic samples
Experiment with texture, flexibility, and surface qualities
Incorporate waste based materials into biocomposites
Gain practical insight into circular material practices
Leave with physical samples and a clear starting point for further exploration
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Basic kitchen equipment for heating and mixing. Small amounts of clean, dry organic materials if you wish to experiment further.
Why the Boring Workshops?
This aren’t pre-recorded courses. They’re live online workshops with professional instructors and creatives where you can ask questions, receive feedback, get personal guidance, and interact with peers in real time.
Recording are made available after the session so you can rewatch and follow at your own pace.
MEET SURZHANA
Surzhana Radnaeva is a material researcher, fashion designer, and educator whose transdisciplinary practice bridges ancestral craft, contemporary tools, and experimental creation.
She is the founder of Traditional Futures, a long term project inspired by the preservation of her Indigenous heritage from Siberia. Based in France and working internationally, she focuses on applied bio based material research, including algae, mycelium, and bacterial cellulose.
Through garments, workshops, and talks, she explores how materials carry stories of origin, use, and transformation. Teaching is central to her practice and is approached as guided exploration, helping participants develop material knowledge and embodied making skills.
An introduction to bioplastics and biocomposites from algae extracts
with Surzhana Radnaeva
The Workshop
This hands-on workshop introduces participants to biomaterials through the making of bioplastics and biocomposites derived from algae extracts.
What you’ll need:
Basic kitchen equipment for heating and mixing. Small amounts of clean, dry organic materials if you wish to experiment further.
Dates:
Session One: June 11th, 5PM-6PM
Session Two: June 15th, 5PM-6PM
Location: Online
(Early bird price until 30th May 2026 - Limited Entries)