Maialen Argoitia is a transdisciplinary designer and researcher. A value driven designer specialized in product, materials and spaces with a focus on ecological practices to promote environmental, social and circular economy development.

She holds an Integral Design and Image Management Bachelor degree and a Master’s Degree in Design Research. Her competencies include materials research, ecosystemic use of craft techniques and digital fabrication, ephemeral and furniture design, as well as regenerative and collaborative processes. As a hybrid design profile, her professional and educational experience, which includes also courses, workshops and international projects, has given her a great adaptability, proactive attitude and ability to face new challenges.

Project

Landscape of possibilities

The project researches the assemblages and perceptions of an invasive plant, Canyis Carrizo, commonly known as reed. It is committed to a reflection on trying to understand the invasive and, in this case, the discarded matter through the practice based on material experimentation with reed. It seeks to bring together the perceptions and dialogues that are generated around matter from a posthumanist and multispecies perspective. To go beyond human-non-human dichotomies and anthropocentric epistemologies, to understand the interconnected society in which we live. Iterating with various manufacturing processes that have already been used with the material, searching through intuition for new ways of making and creating a language. Moreover, through a more holistic perspective, generating a more immaterial perception for the innovation of the practice.
The result is a knowledge and map of new material possibilities. A constellation of learnings, discoveries, and sensitivities encountered during the practice, with which to change the perception of the material and to be able to dialogue with the different ways of resignifying it.

Approach

“IN DIALOG WITH THE MATTER”

Maialen designs within the interconnectivity and assemblages of the places we inhabit. She dialogs with objects, materials, spaces and bodies, from the ecosystemic perspective of discarted materials and conversion of craft techniques and digital fabrication. For the exploration and development of circular and regenerative practices.

She looks for emerging presents, futures and pasts that lead us to new ways of doing, or even not doing, undoing and redoing. In order to reflect, research and design new alternative methods that help us to develop in balance within the complex and rich landscape.The result is a knowledge and map of new material possibilities. A constellation of learnings, discoveries, and sensitivities encountered during the practice, with which to change the perception of the material and to be able to dialogue with the different ways of resignifying it.