SOUCI
Basic information
Project Title
Full project title
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Project Description
SOUCI offers another way of preserving and shaping cut flowers,inviting its audience to compose, observe and consume plants otherwise:It uses plants aesthetic to speak about ecology.I extracted a scientific process from In Vitro culture and adapted the seaweed recipe for floral art.The idea is to move the aesthetic and quantitative expectations that we have of nature by highlighting the tiniest stem, reduce waste,and by encouraging the use of common and local plant.It had been developed at ENSCI
Project Region
EU Programme or fund
Description of the project
Summary
Souci is a new way to appreciate and observe plants. It had been developed between a biologist from INRA, a florist and I as a designer at ENSCI-Les Atelier, design school in Paris. Molded agar-agar(seaweed) replaces vase and hydrates the stems. To shape and transport flowers, it's also an alternative to polyurethan florist's foam. The idea is to shift the aesthetic and quantitative expectations we have of organic matter by highlighting the tiniest stem. This project purpose a new aesthetic in floral art, and try to proof that we can appreciate nature in an other way. It defines an aesthetic based on an another scale of values inspired by the movement Less is more. Plants are placed in a transparent gel water, which is soft enough to receive every kind of plant's stalk, and wich sublimates them.
I think beauty is a nice way to think about our future.
Key objectives for sustainability
The seaweed (agar-agar) used for this project can be reused in a cyclic way. As for In Vitro culture, the agar-agar can be melted infinitely by adding a little water each time. Thus, this product has a very low impact on the ecosystem, it’s just water with a bit of gelifying seaweed. We can also decorate it with natural pigments or plants (ochres, mints ..).
Key objectives for aesthetics and quality
This projet purpose a new way of scenographing flowers. It permitted the invention of a new tipology of «vase», and a new way of observing plants in a domestic context. SOUCI gives importance to every part of a plant, people are invited to look at the stalk as much as the peduncle. The transparency of the jelly permits to see the entire length of the stalk, and it’s softness maintain them while allowing movement.
Shapes that I purpose want to preserve and reveal specificities of the plants it countains. For example, a cône gives differents height of hydratation adapted to the different need of plants. Rose need water all arround the stalk whereas Tulip need water just at the foot. After modeling it, we can put water on it and create a water mirror, to show the underside of plants.
It’s all about contemplation and admiration of Nature. I think beauty is a nice way to think about our future.
Key objectives for inclusion
Every independant florist could join this way of preparing, conditionning and shaping flowers. To facilitate their work, I would design a modeling seaweed kit easy to use. Agar-agar, the seaweed I use, is very easy to mold. We just need hot water and seaweed powder. It's a gelling agent wich permit to shape water while hydrating plants. It can be casted in many materials, thermoformed reusable plastic for example.
Innovative character
Thanks to ENSCI-Les Ateliers (school of design in Paris), a scientist from INRA and a florist; I developed this project properly. This technical transfer, from biology to floral art, had never been done before. This permitted the invention of a new tipology of "vase", and a new way of observing plants in a domestic context.This cyclic reusable material permits to materialize a new aesthetic wich help people to join an ecological mind of consumption and production.
