Raw Materials

Every object we interact with - from the chair we sit on, to the mobile phone in our hand, to the clothes we wear - is made from resources. Nowadays, these resources are primarily metals, petroleum and minerals, which serve as the elemental components of our modern world. However, our use of these invaluable resources requires profound changes. According to OECD projections, global resource consumption has more than tripled since 1970 and is expected to double by 2060. This voracious extraction is also responsible for 50 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions and 90 per cent of biodiversity loss. Germany alone consumes over a billion tonnes of resources annually. If these resources were piled up, they would form a mountain with a staggering height of 960 metres and a length of around 1500 metres. The consequences of this exploitation are undeniable: environmental degradation and human rights abuses through mining, through the increased CO2 emissions from the production of commodities such as concrete and through the catastrophic impact on biodiversity from monoculture farming.

• The key to a more sustainable future can be found within the concept of the circular economy. These principles are at the heart of this approach and also form the basis of IMAGINARY's “RRRRRR” game, which provides a clear and engaging insight into how the circular economy works and which benefits it brings. Through the lens of a mobile phone, visitors can observe how targeted actions can conserve resources and prolong the useful life cycle of products.

• Another significant approach is the use of natural and renewable resources. With this objective, the Berlin-based studio HAUTE INNOVATION has compiled over 50 innovative and sustainable materials. The exhibited products are manufactured in a manner that minimises energy consumption during production and recyclability. Many of the examples are composed of renewable raw materials that decompose biologically after use. A number of these alternatives are already available on the market, so we can start producing and purchasing differently right away.

• In the Futurium Lab, visitors can explore the fascinating structures of sustainable materials through a microscope. Self-healing concrete, for example, contains microscopic capsules of bacteria that become active when cracks appear in the concrete. The bacteria produce limestone, which fills the cracks and 'heals' the concrete.
  

• The media installation “Multipolar” by ATELIER-E highlights yet another dimension. It symbolises the importance of chemistry for the research into future materials. It illustrates how a variety of different materials can be created from the basic building blocks of materia – atoms and molecules. The installation appears as a giant molecule that is constantly moving, reacting and changing.

• Johanna Schmeer's “The Outside Inside” explores the dynamic interactions between the environment, nature and technology. Nine terrariums simulate possible environmental conditions in the year 2100. The installation shows how plants, fungi and lichens can actively shape and revitalise their environment. Oyster mushrooms grow in one of the terrariums. They can absorb heavy metals and other pollutants. Other organisms can then survive better on this soil.