Borrowed Matter/Materia Prestada is an interactive multi-sensory installation comprised of hand-woven biotextile pieces. The pavilion showcases innovative uses of cellulose as a biomedium, prompting reflection on the timber industry and its extractive practices. The central work, partially submerged in water, gradually biodegrades, portraying the transformation of matter and its origin as a core element of textile research. Visitors are invited to witness the ongoing degradation and interact with tactile sensors that reveal concealed sounds. 

The project emerged from academic research on biotextiles and raises questions about cellulose’s origin and its production implications. In Chile, where the forestry industry covers 4% of the national territory, the monoculture of introduced species such as pine and eucalyptus has resulted in various socio-environmental issues, including increased fire rates, water scarcity, soil acidification, and declining biodiversity.

Against this backdrop, Borrowed Matter/Materia Prestada considers the life cycle of cellulose by investigating its aesthetic and functional properties. Cellulose, as the primary focus of the Chilean forestry industry, is the most abundant biopolymer globally. It is biocompatible, biodegradable, and renewable, yet predominantly used for industrial paper and textile manufacturing.

Through a contemporary textile reinterpretation, the installation proposes a connection between biomaterial innovation and traditional techniques and emphasises slow, embodied  making processes. Hand-weaving is the primarily chosen technique due to its significance in Latin American material culture, serving as an identity element, means of communication, and conduit for knowledge transfer. The biotextile pieces are crafted using natural fibres, dyes, and carboxymethyl cellulose, a by-product of the cellulose industry, moulded in a laminar format. Developed by designer and researcher Sofía Guridi, this versatile material exhibits translucency and flexibility, making it ideal for handmade textile creation.