Biocolour - Exploring sustainable colour (curator)

What are  biocolours  and  biocolourants,  and where do they come from? How could using them  contribute to a more sustainable coexistence with the planet that sustains us?  Our use of natural colourants has a long history but after the invention and global rise of synthetic dyes they have been marginalised. So how can we shift from a largely fossil-based monoculture of mass production towards diversity and  a  more sustainable colour palette? Change needs a  new understanding of  bio-based,  eco-efficient  colourant  sources and applications. We also need to question our attitudes towards colours and what we expect of them.How will  biocolourant  discoveries  impact our lives, our behaviours, and  the way  we think of colour? In this exhibition you can see how people from a wide range of fields, from scientists and designers to artists and manufacturers, are exploring these questions. They connect ancient knowledge with today’s science and imagine future scenarios, acknowledging that the BIO in  biocolourant  stands for living beings. It reminds us that all our explorations and uses of  biocolourants  are collaborations with  nature and  non-human partners.Biocolour – Exploring Sustainable Colour showcases  some of the many organisms linked to  biocolours: those that  generate  colourants, those who help us  produce  biocolourants  with biotechnology, as well as the ones ensuring that they are safe for the environment and ourselves. You can explore  bacteria, algae, fungi, animals and plants, as well as  the themes of  colour & light,  colour  &  performativity, and  a Finnish  biocolour  palette.  They offer new perspectives on the world and research  into  biocolourants.