"De Souche: Designing a Contextually Relevant Biomaterial"
De Souche is an experimental project that seeks to transform the invasive aquatic plant Eurasian milfoil into a biomaterial that can benefit communities affected by its spread. Eurasian milfoil (Myriophyllum spicatum) can currently be found in over 200 lakes across Quebec. In March and April 2021, the De Souche team hosted two workshops with Concordia students, residents from an affected lake in Quebec, and artists from across Canada. These events featured a live demonstration on how to create a biomaterial with Eurasian milfoil and fostered open discussions on the potential of these methods to reshape our relationships to invasive species. Through this participatory methodology, the project created a platform for knowledge-sharing on biomaterials and invasive species, generated reflections on the meaning of these species in anthropogenic landscapes, and speculated on the potential of biomaterials in remediating lost relationships to the natural world.
Themes: Education, Community
