how can materials create movement, behavior, interaction?
Material Interactions is a collaborative project by Nadya Suvorova and Heidi Jalkh, presenting a series of five kinetic sculptures which investigate its role materials as active ingredients in design systems. Rather than treating matter as passive, the work explores how materials can exhibit responsive behaviours, contributing to form, movement and interaction.
The sculptures incorporate experimental materials developed in laboratories in Switzerland and Argentina, combining approaches from materials science, biology, engineering and design. Each object is considered as a system in which material properties and embedded technologies create specific reactions. Interaction is enabled through proximity, allowing the works to respond to visitors’ presence through movement and spatial displacements. This framework places materials as agents within a dynamic environment, extending beyond conventional mechanical systems.
The project proposes an expanded understanding of design, where behavior emerges from the inherent properties of materials and their configuration. By incorporating responsiveness directly into material systems, the work rethinks the relationship between users, objects and environments.
all images courtesy of Material Interactions – Nadya Suvorova and Heidi Jalkh
the five kinetic sculptures that make up Material Interactions
Material Interactions Series by designers Nadya Suvorova and Heidi Jalkh present five kinetic objects. Sculpture BM.01 / Bind (2026) consists of a bioceramic material derived from land shells, including magellanic clams, oysters and razor clams, combined with an algae-based binder. The material is formed at room temperature into interlocking components that are assembled into a spherical form. The resulting structure is capable of controlled motion, including rolling and self-stabilization, showing how recycled biological matter can be reconfigured into a functional kinetic system.
The piece MG.02 / Grow (2026) incorporates a mycelium-based material formed by species of fungi, including Pycnoporus sanguineus and Ganoderma lucidum. The living material is developed within a confined structure supported by a kinetic frame of aluminum and synthetic components. The movement is incremental and continuous, supporting the development process and emphasizing the integration of biological systems into designed objects.
In MC.03 / Magnetize (2026), a silicone compound embedded with iron neodymium boron particles forms a field of flexible hair-like elements. Under the influence of magnetic forces, these elements align and move collectively, allowing small objects to be transported across the surface. The system acts as a soft, distributed transport mechanism, driven by resonant magnetic interaction.
Work AS.04 / Strain (2026) uses incremental structures made of thin sheet EVA foam. When subjected to stress, the material expands and deforms, allowing it to bend, curl, and enclose objects. Deformation is used as a functional mechanism to lift and release elements without a rigid hold, showing how geometry and elasticity can replace conventional mechanical systems.
Consisting of steel powder elements activated by magnetic fields, the sculpture MF.05 / Attract (2026) creates continuous movement on horizontal and vertical surfaces. The material responds to controlled magnetic forces, allowing for adhesion, release and directional movement. The system illustrates how the magnetic interaction can be used to choreograph the behavior of material in space.
Throughout the series of kinetic sculptures, Material Interactions presents a design approach in which material systems, responsive technologies and environmental interaction are integrated into coherent contexts. The project highlights the potential for materials to actively contribute to performance, supporting new forms of interaction and expanding the scope of design beyond static objects.
AS.04 / Stem Material: Incremental EVA foam structures with thin sheet Collaborators: Dr Lorenzo Guiducci, Activity Themes (DE)
AS.04 / Stem Material: Incremental EVA foam structures with thin sheet Collaborators: Dr Lorenzo Guiducci, Activity Themes (DE)
BM.01 / Binding materials: Ground shells (magellan clams, oysters, razor clams) and algal biopolymers Raw material source: Ultramarinos (AR)
MC.03 / Magnetize Material: Silicone rubber composition with iron neodymium boron particles Source of material: Dr Ahmet Demirörs (CH), Complex Materials Group, ETH Zurich
MC.03 / Magnetize Material: Silicone rubber composition with iron neodymium boron particles Source of material: Dr Ahmet Demirörs (CH), Complex Materials Group, ETH Zurich
MF.05 / Attract Material: Steel powder Material source: Apheros AG (CH), Complex Materials Group, ETH Zurich
MG.02 / Grow Material: Mycelium aggregates of Pycnoporus sanguineus and Ganoderma lucidum Fungi inoculation: Dr. Leonardo M. Majul, Lab. of Experimental Mycology and Lichenology (INMIBO-UBA)
MG.02 / Grow Material: Mycelium aggregates of Pycnoporus sanguineus and Ganoderma lucidum Fungi inoculation: Dr. Leonardo M. Majul, Lab. of Experimental Mycology and Lichenology (INMIBO-UBA)
project information:
name: Material Interactions
designers: Material Interactions – Nadya Suvorova and Heidi Jalkh | @material_interactions
design development: Lorenzo Rossi
programming: Mario von Rickenbach
electronics: Santiago Clancy
scores and soundscapes: Ailin Grad
video editing: Andres Aguilo
photographers: Laura Macias and Vicky Rey
scientific communication: Dr. Exequiel Rodriguez
Identity Typography: Synt by Dinamo Typefaces
editorial text: Caroline Hirt
opening statement: Material Interactions 一 A New Species of Design, on display at Artlab in Buenos Aires, Argentina
BM.01 / Bind (2026):
materials: Land shells (magellanic clams, oysters, razor clams), algal biopolymers
raw material source: External (AR)
MG.02 / Grow (2026):
materials: Pycnoporus sanguineus mycelium aggregates, Ganoderma lucidum, anodized aluminum, PLA, plexiglas, motor, electronics, proximity sensor
fungal inoculation: Dr. Leonardo M. Majul, Laboratory of Experimental Mycology and Lichenology (INMIBO-UBA)
MC.03 / Magnetize (2026):
materials: Silicone rubber compound with iron neodymium boron particles, anodized aluminum, magnets, PLA, motors, electronic components, proximity sensors
material source: Dr Ahmet Demirörs (CH), Department of Materials Science, Composite Materials Group, ETH Zurich
AS.04 / Strain (2026):
materials: Incremental Builds EVA Foam with Thin Sheet, Anodized Aluminum, PLA, Motors, Electronics, Proximity Sensor
partners: Dr. Lorenzo Guiducci, Activity Matters (DE)
MF.05 / Attract (2026):
materials: Steel powder, anodized aluminum, magnets, PLA, plexiglas, motor, electronics, proximity sensor
material source: Apheros AG (CH), Materials Science Department, Complex Materials Group, ETH Zurich
designboom received this project from us DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.
edited by: Christina Vergopoulou | designboom
