D1. Moss Ritual
Circularity / Material ResearchTeam: Ziyi Lian & Ginevra Scipioni. Folkfarma Workshop by Serina Tarkhanian @ Design Academy Eindhoven, September 2021
Bathing usually involves getting rid of residue on our skin with the use of lotions and soaps. Clean often suggests protection against external agents. But how does nature cleanse itself without external purifying agents? In nature, cleaning is a collaborative practice that occurs between different species. In which way can we adopt a similar process? We took this as the starting point for a three-day design workshop involving the foraging of wild moss.
The proposed bathing ritual involves an exchange with moss. In its hydrosol form, its essence is absorbed during and after a warm shower. Its antiseptic and lenitive properties are good for our body.
In its physical form, dried moss is stitched or felted to create an absorbent living fabric which is able to absorb the water from one’s body.
Moss has a unique structure that allows it to purify air and water, thrive in humid and withstand dry environments. Used as bandages in the past, we explore its properties and imagine ways in which we could learn from it.
The practice of this ritual is situated in the privacy of one’s home, where one can experience deeper intimacy. Through it, a relationship of reciprocity between nature and self is nurtured. In this way, we reflect on our current definition of cleanliness and build a relationship of reciprocity between us and nature.