16 Jul WATER-MINING’s Kaumera polymer meets art
Kaumera is a new bio-based raw material that is extracted from the sludge granules that form during the Nereda® purification process (kaumera.com). Due to its unique properties, Kaumera lends itself for multiple applications. Amongst others TU Delft researchers found that it can be used to produce fire retardant materials.
This observation inspired Nesie Junyi Wang, a 4th year photography student at the Royal Academy of Art (KABK) in The Hague for her art project.
Photo: Loes de Boer
Science and Art
This year, the theme of NWO LIFE was The Art of Life. Nesie was invited by the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) and the KABK to make art works based on the NWO Closed Cycles programme. This program contributes to the transition towards a circular economy.
Nesie embarked on an eight-month collaborative journey with academic researchers from TU Delft who were involved in the NWO Closed Cycles programme, gaining deep insights into the scientific interplay between water management and waste recycling. They explored connections between scientific and artistic research which resulted in innovative visual ways for communicating knowledge and complex ideas to a wider audience.
In Nesie’s story (docx, 421 kB), she describes her project: “This work seeks to illuminate the intricate relationship between human waste in water, the materiality of Kaumera, and the transformative art of combustion.”
A mobile extraction pilot from Water-Mining provided the Kaumera
The Kaumera produced by the mobile Kaumera extraction installation build and operated in Water-Mining project was used by Nesie. The aim of building this mobile installation was to promote Kaumera as a product and the Kaumera extraction technology on the Iberian Peninsula and the WWTP Utrecht, Netherlands. Probably other locations in Europe will follow.
The installation was successfully used to produce Kaumera for analyses and application tests and for collecting operational data to facilitate full scale implications. Enough Kaumera was collected to provide material for artistic activities from Nessie. These activities align well with the multidisciplinary character of WATER-MINING. Professor Mark van Loosdrecht, TU Delft, says: “working with the material in a creative manner explores its potential and generates new insights in potential applications”
More on Kaumera
For more on Kaumera, check out this explainer video on WATER-MINING’s YouTube.
The exhibition
The work of Nesie and two fellow students will be exhibited until 28 July 2024 in the historic Paradise building, Groenewegje 136, 2515 LR Den Haag, The Netherlands.
This text was modified based on the press release Kaumera inspires young artist published on kaumera.com, 01-07-2024.