LESS

What does “Less” look like?

Leela Shanker (The Flint Collective NYC)
B. Sydney, Australia; based New York, NY 

96”’ x 224.24” x 122”
Mycomaterial (Mycelium strains L44 - Lentinus crinitus, LTTX - Lentinus tigrinus atx, CSMX - Coriolopsis polyzona, 40kg Recycled Paper, Wood Chip), Stone Paper, Reused Factory LED pixels, Reused DMX Controllers

This installation is a site-specific lighting intervention demonstrating some of the construction principles of  Less Corp (“Less”), a New York-based developer in the emerging re-construction industry: Less building, more reconstructing; Less virgin material, more remediated waste; Less mining and processing, more harvesting and cultivating.

This brings to light a unique palette of material interactions grown to be textured, marbled, and unexpectedly delightful. Stone that once held water becomes paper that holds light. Paper that held inked stories becomes mycelium-dyed building blocks in our physical surroundings.

The work was conceived as an exploration of light and material structure that shifts focus from typical emphasis on production of light to “catching” light through alternate reflectances. Designing with luminance metrics as a prime determinant, provides a softer energy and material footprint while proposing the potential for cellular systems that animate the urban environment after sunset.

We invite you to join us for the Phase 1 opening of the installation featuring existing structural materials of aluminum pipe. Phase 2 will introduce Mycelium casts on recylced paper substrate to highlight the potential application of a lighter coloured material that converted waste into an intriguing, experiential skin.

Huge thanks to NEW INC and the following people and organisations for making LESS possible in the most moorish of ways!

  • Chris Bocchiario - Lighting Integrator, Technical Expert, Nanometer Lighting and CK - for lending the mountains of pixels to these ideas

  • Joel Alonso Trinidad Robles – Chief Creative Officer of Spawn Lab MX - for tending to our mycelium colonies

  • Daniel Reyes – Founder and Executive Advisor of Spawn Lab MX - for bringing heart

  • Viktoria Barbo - Managing Director, and Noel Hernandez of Matter Workshop - for sculpting the scope from the beginning

  • Nick DiSordi and Kevin Rose of We-ef for the outdoor

  • Jossiel (“Jay”) Cepeda, Manager, Malibu Farm - for looking after me and the crew over the past months’ adventures by the water.

  • Elisa, Sarah, Tyler, Dave, Billy and Fidel at Howard Hughes Corp for open door support at the Pier.

  • Salome, Raul, Brian, Lauren, Paul and Gatch, New Inc AllStars for seeing this ambitious prompt through.

  • Science Sandbox

  • Rob and Rachel Martinez - Third Kind Studio

  • and not least, the Flint Collective NYC Production Team - Carl Everett, Marta Casarin, Ana Lucia Ahumada, Anabelle Schneider, Braulio Zenteno, David Smith, Lu Tzuhsin, Tzu-Hao Kuo, Hsin-Ying Huang - for braving thunderstorms to get this up!