The Ink Project – Between Craft and Technology | Greta Desirèe Facchinato

Name of the submitted project or idea (in English or both English and your language)

The Ink Project – Between Craft and Technology
URL of a video introducing the work（under 5 minutes）
Detailed explanation of the submitted project or idea (in English or both English and your language)

The Ink Project - Between Craft and Technology, is an innovative research delving into the convergence of ecology, craftsmanship, and contemporary printing techniques. Its primary aim is to unearth prospects that merge forgotten knowledge with digital advancements, investigating circular solutions to the ecological issues arising from synthetic ink use in printing.

Presently, a majority of commercially available printing inks contain hazardous chemicals, refined oil, and heavy metals, posing significant risks to both human health and the environment. Synthetic dyes, binders, and preservatives in these inks contribute substantially to water and soil pollution. Despite the environmental and health constraints posed by the industrial manufacturing of synthetic ink, the modern printing industry still lacks sufficient alternative options.

Through a collaborative process with plants and living organisms, sustainable organic inks are achievable. During the research period, extensive studies and experiments were undertaken to scrutinize the behaviour of bio-based ink compositions with selected technologies, among which ink-jet printers and a pen plotter. The findings and methodologies are meticulously chronicled in an online and open-source ink archive. The overarching objective is to foster awareness and encourage the dissemination of knowledge to bolster the progression of ecological and regenerative printing practices.

Since the project Color is Alive, in 2021, Greta Desirèe Facchinato has been researching and sharing knowledge about ink-making with organic matter for screen printing, through an interconnection with the environment. In The Ink Project, she proposes the perspective of ink as an organic, living substance applied to digital printing. Comprising biological elements means including in the subject the unpredictable influence of natural cycles and their origin environment. Plants and microorganisms contribute to pigments, binders, and preservatives and each ink has its distinct resilience. The artist invites us to join her reflections on what it means to explore a symbiotic relationship between printing technologies and more-than-human life.
How does your work address the 3 P’s (for Planet, for People, for Profit) for Sustainability?

People: the project promotes collaboration and cross-pollination within different professional fields, fostering new knowledge for future developments.
Planet: the project aims to include the more than human life perspective into the printing industry by working with either local and seasonal plants respectfully foraged or grown by the artist or by collaborating with innovative circular companies working with living organisms. The ingredients and materials are carefully selected with the goal of creating inks which are not harmful to human, soil or aquatic life.
Profit: the project promotes social impact and economic value for the alternative future of ecological printing.
Where (country, region, etc.) have you primarily carried out your project?

The project is been mainly carried out in The Netherlands
What is the timeline your project has taken place over?

2023-Present
Keywords

#theinkproject #biobasedink #colorisalive
If you have a website for your submitted project or idea, please provide the URL

https://theinkproject.nl/
If you have a social media account for your submitted project or idea, please provide the URL

https://www.instagram.com/studiogretafacchinato/
Special Prize Question 1: Is there a mechanism in place to inherit culture and industry as assets for people living in that area 100 or even 1000 years from now?

The Ink Project employs an open-source approach to inherit culture and industry as valuable assets, aiming to share knowledge and raise awareness about the research subject. This accumulated knowledge is intended for future applications and serves as a resource for professionals or individuals seeking to expand their understanding of inks made with plants and microorganisms. Utilizing publication techniques through digitization the project and its archive preserve and distribute cultural assets for the benefit of upcoming generations. Additionally, knowledge dissemination occurs through interactive workshops, exhibitions and lectures. Greta Desirèe Facchinato believes that imparting skills through education plays a critical role in ensuring the continuity of the connections between industries and culture that are intrinsic to an ecosystem and its cultural identity.
Special Prize Question 2: What is the positive impact on biodiversity? Is the project creating a cycle not just from a human-centered perspective but for the entire ecosystem?

Biodiversity and interconnection with more than human life are prioritized in order to contribute to a holistic and ecological ink-making practice. By safeguarding the soil and aquatic life and its various inhabitants through the promotion of crafted bio-based inks, the project aims to help maintain ecological balance, resilience, and the continued well-being of both local communities and the planet as a whole.
Special Prize Question 3: Are you enabling new forms of collaboration with others? New forms of collaboration might include cross-industry cooperation, co-creation with consumers, or role transformations within the supply chain.

Greta Desirèe Facchinato combined the approach of artistic research and bio-design in order to research the potential crossover of crafting bio-based ink and digital printing. The experiment looked into finding innovative solutions to implement the future of ecological printing, by fostering a symbiotic relationship with more-than-human life and interdisciplinary collaboration with other professionals - whose expertise spanned from natural colour, botany, chemistry, ecology, bio-design, and circularity. Some of the partners and collaborators involved are:
- BlueCity Lab - a model city for the circular and blue economy and home to 55 entrepreneurs
- Dirk Jan Visser, documentary photographer/researcher whose practice contributes to a dialogue about ecological humanities
- Jos Polman, chemistry teacher at Hogeschool Rotterdam
- Raquel Sanchez Galvez, with whom Greta collaborated to document the research process
- Nick van Biezen, biotechnology and fungi expert
- Laboratorium and FormLab, experimental lab for art/design and biotechnology at KASK / School of Arts Ghent.