Hotel 
Symbiogenesis

Anabel is a third of Hypothetical Studios and the lead material developer for Hotel Symbiogenesis. This was a project under Designmatter. 

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Hotel Symbiogenesis unfolds a story of an island in the near-apocalyptic future, in which various animal species, including humans, coexist symbiotically. In a speculative hotel room, a collection of artefacts made of fur and leather of the fictional animals is presented.

Hotel Symbiogenesis rethinks the human-nonhuman animal relationships by questioning how the human species have been valuing animal-derived clothing material. The aim of the project was to create alternative mythology, which is not a denial of autonomy and subjectivity of nonhuman animals, specifically concerning the consumption of their skin and fur.

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The story-building process was accompanied by hands-on and visual speculations. By visualising the context of the island, I was able to extrapolate the properties of the textiles. As the lead textile and material designer for this project, I designed and co-created with an international group of artisans to materialise the skins and furs of the fictional animals using their traditional craft techniques. This methodology, which we call Speculative Craft, provided significant insights and inspirations about the tactility of the narrative.