Organic Phosphoresence

Fantasma, 2019 by AnotherFarm

As I entered room 302 at the Cooper Hewitt, the first installation I saw was this group of ghostly looking white garments in blue light, and moved on. To satisfy my curious thoughts of what it exactly is about, I went back and started reading, and I was blown away by the innovative design. Fantasma was designed by AnotherFarm, in collaboration with scientists who make transgenic glowing silk. This is engineerd by injecting silkworm eggs with coral DNA to glow in the dark.

Bioluminescence of coccoons and silk thread as seen through glasses

Silkworm coccoons and the silk yarn as seen though the glasses. The fabric was woven at Japan's Hosoo textile manufactory.

Deeply interested in phosphorescence as an element of textile embellishment and construction, this combination of bioluminescence incorporated even before the yarn stage of textiles is highly inspiring.