Reduïr la materia is a research project that proposes the recovery of black ceramics as an environmental strategy. It is a long-term research developed as a doctoral thesis proposal that includes the exploration of ceramic 3D printing as a manufacturing method. One of the main objectives of the project is to be distributable. To do this, a series of 3D models will be designed that can be downloaded through digital platforms. The project is replicable, as it encourages local manufacturing using native lands. It is especially focused on regions with a tradition rooted in black ceramics, such as Portugal (Bisalhães), Spain (Asturias, Verdú or Quart) or Mexico (Oaxaca).

About the creative talent

Carla Alcalà Badias (Tàrrega, 1997) is an industrial design engineer and art researcher based between the Netherlands and Spain, with a keen interest in materials science and neo-craftsmanship. Through critical speculation and a focus on New Materialist theory, her design practice envisions future scenarios for vernacular knowledges. By merging ancestral wisdom with scientific methodologies, she aims to challenge prevailing ideas about human evolution and technological development.

Carla was awarded the Medialab Matadero 2022-2023 research grant and was an artist in residence at Domaine de Boisbuchet (France), thanks to the financial support of Acción Cultural Española. She has also collaborated with Valencian design studios, including MUT Design and Closca, among others. Her personal projects have been exhibited in internationally recognized events such as the Dutch Design Week and featured in European contemporary culture magazines such as DAMN Magazine.