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Maria Vittoria Colombo MDEF
  • Maria Vittoria Colombo
  • About
  • Terms
    • Term 1
      • my notebook
      • documenting design
      • design studio 01
        • interventions
      • fundamentals of digital fabrication
      • machine paradox
      • living with your own ideas
      • extended intelligence
      • design with others
      • biology zero
      • agriculture zero
    • Term 2
      • design studio 02
        • interventions
      • Pictorial
      • situated design practices
      • communicating ideas
      • living materials
      • collective intelligences
      • micro challenge
      • H(n)MI
      • Extended Intelligences II
    • Term 3
      • Research trip
      • Micro Challenge
      • Communicating Ideas
  • Material Dialogue
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Micro Challenge

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Last updated 6 days ago

For this exhibition, I decided to create a video and an audio track to be played inside the black tent. The idea is to build a visual and sound system that supports the performance and brings people into the atmosphere of the project.

Video

The video is meant to show, in a very clear and detailed way, the textures of the mycelium and how the Petri dishes developed over time when combining mycelium with red mud (a toxic byproduct of aluminum production). I filmed different samples with different results and angles, trying to capture the material qualities as much as possible.

The goal is to create something visually interesting that could draw the viewer in and maybe inspire further research or curiosity. I filmed everything using a smartphone, then edited the clips using Adobe Premiere Pro—adjusting contrast, speed, and color to highlight the textures and details.

Audio

For the audio, I decided to mix two types of sound:

  • The first layer is made of recordings related to working with metal, to reflect the industrial nature of red mud. These sounds are heavy, sometimes even a bit harsh or uncomfortable.

  • The second layer is more organic, based on "mycelium sounds" or natural ambient recordings that represent the fungal world.

I edited and mixed the audio using GarageBand, trying to make the two parts feel like they’re in dialogue. The idea is to reflect the same relationship I explored in the materials themselves: a meeting point between something industrial and something alive.

Installation Setup

The final setup will be inside a black tent, which will be installed just before the exhibition. The tent creates a dark, enclosed space where the video projection and sound can fully surround the visitor. It’s meant to feel a bit like stepping into a small lab or living system, where materials, sound, and light interact.

final video