Material Interactions is a collaborative project by Heidi Jalkh and Nadya Suvorova — a mesmerising exploration of material agency: the idea that matter isn’t just a building block, but an active participant in the design process. A series of five material-driven kinetic sculptures don’t just move: they respond, proving that “passive matter” is anything but. Working at the intersection of materials science, biology, engineering, design, and art, they challenge a human-centric perspective, reframing the threshold of what it means to be “alive”.
Piece by piece, this puzzle-sphere comes into being. Crafted from seashell bioceramic and shaped at room temperature, fragments of the old are unified by an algae binder into three interlocking modules. Once joined, they form a perfect geometry: a reimagined orb capable of tumbling, pausing, and recovering its balance.
Materials: Ground seashells* (magellan mussels, oysters, razors) and algae biopolymer
*Material source: Heidi Jalkh, seashells waste source: Ultramarinos (AR)
In soft motion, this wobbling habitat cradles a living world within its core. Inside this kinetic womb, fungi slowly spread and weave together, nurturing an expanding, shared body. What begins as a simple vessel becomes a quiet sanctuary where life gathers and grows through the rhythm of a shifting form.
Materials: Mycelium agglomerate of Pycnoporus sanguineus and Ganoderma lucidum*, anodised aluminium, PLA, plexiglas, motor, electronic components, proximity sensor.
*Material source and Fungi inoculation: Heidi Jalkh and Dr Leonardo M. Majul, Lab. de Micología Experimental y Liquenología (INMIBO-UBA), Sistemas Materiales.
Across a still surface, magnetised silicone hairs sway in collective alignment. Guided by a magnetic flow, these artificial cilia shuttle small objects from one strand to another in an undulating, crowd-surfing motion. A sophisticated transport system, where waves of energy ferry matter through a synchronised, soft-touch relay.
Materials: Silicone rubber compound with neodymium iron boron particles*, anodised aluminium, magnets, PLA, motors, electronic components, proximity sensors.
*Material source: Dr Ahmet Demirörs (CH), Material Science Department, Complex Materials Group, ETH Zurich
A bow-like pattern cut into an elastic sheet conceals a complex transformation. Under tension, the auxetic geometries expand, either bending upwards or curling, gathering inwards like an armadillo to lift a sphere through form alone. Rather than seizing its target, the material gently envelops it, securing and releasing through an intelligent deformation that mimics a living instinct.
Materials: Thin-sheet EVA foam auxetic structures*, anodised aluminium, PLA, motors, electronic components, proximity sensor.
*Material source and development: Heidi Jalkh; Collaborator: Dr Lorenzo Guiducci, Matters of Activity (DE)
Across a magnetic stage, metallic sponges tread and glide in a perpetual moonwalk. Steered by a rotating magnetic field, they cling, climb, and drift in ways that seem to undo gravity, scaling vertical planes with effortless grace. It is a pulsating choreography: a seamless sequence of pull, yield, and lift.
Materials: Steel powder*, anodised aluminium, magnets, PLA, plexiglas, motor, electronic components, proximity sensor.
*Material source: Apheros AG (CH), Material Science Department, Complex Materials Group, ETH Zurich
The series made its debut in the exhibition “Material Interactions – A New Species of Design” at Artlab, Buenos Aires, in March 2026. Each sculpture is built around a specific material property, activated only by the presence of a visitor. Through proximity-triggered interaction, they respond to humans in a non-linear dialogue of motion and space.
Projected as an immersive backdrop to the physical collection, a visual and audio narrative traces the transition from raw materials to autonomous, living entities through a sequence of macro and micro-studies. The scale-shifting journey is fueled by an original score of embodied material resonances, where raw, matter-based audio is sculpted into a musical framework.
The interactive identity of the project. Give it a try — drag, click, or just watch it move.
Heidi Jalkh and Nadya Suvorova are designers from Argentina and Switzerland who thrive where science meets imagination. Despite coming from different design fields and continents, they share a singular passion for material agency and transformation. Together, they create impactful and accessible platforms that bring material innovation into the collective narrative.
Nadya Suvorova (b. 1987) is a designer, artist, and creative director specialised in translating scientific research into immersive sensorial experiences. Based in Zurich, her practice investigates how emerging materials and technologies reshape human perception through physical and digital works that foreground material agency and transformation.
Nadya is the founder of Future of Materials, an online platform showcasing cutting-edge materials sourced directly from research labs, and is a guest professor at Diriyah Art Futures (DAF).
Heidi Jalkh (b. 1986) is an experimental designer, educator, and researcher specialised in the intersection of bio-fabricated materials, interdisciplinary research, and craft-based processes. Based in Buenos Aires, her practice investigates how knowledge emerges through embodied making, experimentation, and material behaviour.
Heidi is the head of the research group Sistemas Materiales, an associate member of Matters of Activity, and has been recognised with the 2022 Humboldt Innovation Prize and the 2024 Experimental Fellowship at Bauhaus Earth.
Design development: Lorenzo Rossi
Programming: Mario von Rickenbach
Electronics: Santiago Clancy
Score and soundscapes: Ailin Grad
Video editing: Andres Aguiló
Photography: Laura Macias and Vicky Rey
Science communication: Dr Exequiel Rodriguez
Identity typography: Synt by Dinamo Typefaces
Curatorial text: Caroline Hirt
