Color-changing microalgae dye
Algaemy is a project that investigates the potential of microalgae as a pigment in textile printing. All patterns consist of living, self-harvested material. The result of a research collaboration between Blond & Bieber and the Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineeing and Biotechnology (IGB), the project consists of a microalgae-based dye palette developed to create environmentally responsible textiles.
Because the colors are not lightfast, they transform over time, unlike conventional, chemical-based textile dyes. Algaemy’s biodynamic colors gradually change when exposed to sunlight. For example, green becomes an intense blue, while pale pink turns bright red and eventually orange. Every textile thus conveys a temporal story based on exposure and use. In this way, Algaemy illustrates the potential of an autonomously self-grown pigment created from an underappreciated natural substance.
Contact: Studio Blond & Bieber, Berlin, Germany.
For more information, see Transmaterial Next: A Catalog of Materials that Redefine Our Future