Syntopia
[speculative design] [microbiology]
February 2022 - October 2022
Over the last decade, climate change has severely impacted food yield, safety, and quality, necessitating a revolution in food production systems. Spices, integral to global diets and culture, have a high ecological footprint due to unsustainable trade practices rooted in colonial histories. As consumers, we are disconnected from their origins, calling for a cultural shift toward sustainability.
Syntopia envisions a future where spices are sustainably produced, personalized, and accessible. It speculates on bioengineering fungi to biosynthesize spice properties, creating novel, sustainable spice alternatives grown in controlled bioreactors. By merging niche technologies with artistic prototypes, the project reimagines spice production to reduce carbon emissions and reconnect consumers with food origins.
Design project at Industrial Design master’s program at Eindhoven University of Technology (Supervisor: Bahareh Barati)
