
Disruptive Materials
special area on material innovations and disruptive technologies
21–24 May 2019, Cologne
Location: Interzum 2019, KölnMesse, hall 4.2
Organizer: KölnMesse
Material selection and didactics: Dr. Sascha Peters
Exhibition Design: Diana Drewes
Innovative materials and developments in materials technology have always influenced mankind. Incremental advances lead to huge changes in technology and society. Researchers and directors of major, successful international companies believe we are on the verge of the next meaningful shift. Materials research is making products and functions a reality that will bring about a new generation of products. Industry anticipates increasingly innovative materials, which are lighter, thinner, more compact, more flexible or more resistant to wear. At the same time, researchers are pushing the limits of what is feasible and creating materials with integrated functionality and digital options that will significantly change our everyday lives in a few years’ time. Designers and architects are increasingly turning their attention to the issue of an impending shortage of resources. They are conscious of the knowledge of old craftsman’s techniques that had been lost and the awareness of locally available plants or leftover materials. Material flows that were not of interest to industrial mass production are being rediscovered and returning to the fore as we develop a greater awareness of the need to close materials cycles.

With the slogan “Disruptive Materials – Changing the Future”, the agency and incubator for future materials and technology HAUTE INNOVATION from Berlin has presentes some of the latest materials innovations and disruptive technologies at Interzum 2019. The exhibition was be divided into the four main areas of focus: biological transformation, resource efficiency and sustainability, digital and smart materials, and production-related materials innovations.


Highlights of the exhibition with 100 exhibits on around 400 square meters
– Urine Tiles (Si Nae Kim, Korea)
– Baubotanik (Prof. Ferdinand Ludwig, TU Munich)
– Digital Porcellan Manufacturing (Additive Addicted, Berlin)
– Urushi Food Waste Ware (Kosuke Araki, Tokio/Japan)
– Moorleder (Jan Christian Schulz, Hanover)
– Bacteria Lamp (Jan Klingler, Stockholm/Sweden)
– Algae Powered Thermometer (Fabienne Felder, Genspace, New York)
– Algae 3D-Printing (Eric Klarenbeek, NL/LUMA Arles, France)
– Lignoloc Holznägel (BECK Fastener Group, Austria)
– Ignorance is Bliss (Agne Kucerenkaite, Vilnius/Estonia)
– Morphables Programable Textiles (Cathryn McAnespy, Berlin)
– 4DmultiMATS: 4D printing of self-regulating material systems (ICD Stuttgart)
– Blood Sneaker (Sebastian Thies, München; Shahar Livne, Eindhoven)
– 4D (auto)reagible textile facade (Jan Serode, ITA/RWTH Aachen)
– Stone Web (Natascha Unger, Idalene Rapp, Weißensee Kunsthochschule Berlin)

image: Algae Powered Thermometer (source: Fabienne Felder, Genspace, New York)
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