ATELIER LUMA : BIOREGIONAL DESIGN PRACTICES

Objects and furnishings presented in this exhibition were created by combining locally available material and human resources. Atelier LUMA, a program of LUMA Arles, honed its approach through a firm anchoring in its own bioregion: Arles, the Camargue, the Alpilles, and the Crau. Its multidisciplinary teams continue to explore these rich surroundings while expanding their
work in Europe, the Mediterranean basin, and beyond.

Five large installations offer sensory experiences rooted in specific cultural and natural landscapes. Rice straw, salt, textiles, and wool provide glimpses into the bioregion surrounding Arles through sound, light, colors, motifs, and textures. Algae and agricultural byproducts take shape as bioplastic seating in the exhibition’s discussion space. Middle Eastern materials, including palm fronds, are used to reimagine a traditional sitting area, where fragrances evoke desert landscapes.

A series of cabinets displays materials and prototypes generated by bioregional explorations. From construction materials to upholstery fabrics, from plant-based shoes to molded palm sheath, the experimental objects resulted from careful investigation and extensive collaboration. Each one draws from local heritage and environmental surroundings, then reflects them back through appearance and form. Throughout the exhibition, artisanal and industrial techniques are combined to create new vernaculars.

In the United Arab Emirates, Atelier LUMA co-curates research with Irthi Contemporary Crafts Council (ICCC), chaired by Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, wife of His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah. The research investigates the role indigenous crafts can play in designing and building the future of the UAE. ICCC operates a pioneering range of creative and cultural initiatives designed to foster a sustainable economy around the UAE’s heritage crafts, one of which is the Design Labs II initiative: a research fellowship with the American University of Sharjah’s College of Architecture, Art and Design. The result of this fellowship is a growing material library of recipes displayed within the cabinets of the exhibition.