Forbidden Vernaculars Tea Set

The Forbidden Vernacular tea set was created in the framework of BIO27 Super Vernaculars - Designing for a Regenerative Future (2022). As the collective of participating artists had considerable experience in working with biomaterials, they used the platform of the Biennale to experiment with the technique of compacted earth. Under the mentorship of architects from Atelier LUMA and BC Architects they built a tea pavilion out of materials sourced from the Crater. Since the Biennale, the tea set has served as a discursive object and representative product of the Krater collective, an interdisciplinary group of ecologists, (landscape) architects, designers, microbiologists and artists which uses the 18,000m2 of the abandoned construction pit as an urban laboratory for the development of regenerative material cultures and the advocacy of a self-determined nature in the city.

The materials used in the production of individual elements are biodegradable and, if stored correctly in a dry place, sustainable. The clay cup was manufactured using the traditional ceramic firing process, resulting in a solid and unbreakable product. The rhizomes of Japanese knotweed are fully ligneous (woody), which ensures an unlimited shelf life. The product is suitable for everyday use, and the packaging can be repurposed as a storage container or disposed of in compost.

The teacup with a ribbed structure, made from wild clay using a hand press (extruder), and the teabag with Japanese knotweed rhizomes, made from the paper of the tree mushroom, are protected by packaging made from fungal mycelium using a mould. The product is complemented by a label printed on Japanese knotweed paper, which is a Slovenian innovation (Trajna collective).

The Tea Set of Forbidden Vernaculars was created by Gaja Mežnarić Osole (eco-social designer and invasive plant expert), Rok Oblak (product designer and wild clay master), Primož Turnšek (mycologist and ecologist), and Andrej Koruza (craftsman and biomaterials designer).