As Above, So Below, 2017

© Kirstie van Noort & Xandra van der Eijk As Above, So Below, 2017 Photo Ronald Smits / Dutch Invertuals

As Above, So Below, 2017

Kirstie van Noort & Xandra van der Eijk

As Above, So Below is a design project and material research into crowdmining stardust as a new source for rare earth metals from space.

Every year, an estimated 37,000 to 78,000 tons of stardust is falling down on earth. While bigger meteorites are rare, smaller extraterrestrial dust specs survive the atmospheric entry and land on earth. As terrestrial resources are depleting and rare earth metals are arguably indispensable for our way of life and our survival as a species, we are in need of alternatives. Micrometeorites are searched after by scientists at a small scale, as a source of information about the history of the universe and the composition of stars. Yet, according to van Noort and van der Eijk, they have never been considered as a source of matter.  As Above, So Below is a speculative design project that explores the potential of micrometeorites as the first rare earth metal from space. At the same time, crowd mining is proposed as a new method and resource. Mankind has to reinvent its purpose as hunter and collector, roaming urban rooftops and gardens in search of specs of this potentially valuable dust. As Above, So Below gives an insight into the full scope of the material process starting with the ‘mining’ of stardust, filtering and analyzing it, to finally melting and transforming a meteorite into a formed shape.

This project was developed as a response to the exhibition theme ‘Harvest’, Dutch Invertuals 2017.


Kirstie van Noort (NL)
°1986 

Kirstie van Noort sees design as a way to communicate a certain process or the story behind a material. When she is intrigued by one of these a study starts by making detailed test and experiments. The outcome of the research could form the foundation of the concept behind a final product or result in the research itself.

Kirstie van Noort graduated from the Design Academy Eindhoven department Man and Well-Being in 2011. Since 2012 van Noort runs her own design studio in Eindhoven, The Netherlands. She received the Material Award in 2012 for her design research in Cornwall, UK. She participated in many exhibitions and gave worldwide lectures explaining her way of working. In 2014 she was asked to participate in the project Arita/2016 in Japan. There she completed a artist residency for two months and investigated the local porcelain production. At the moment she is collaborating with companies as a (material) researcher. 


Xandra van der Eijk (NL)
°1985

Xandra van der Eijk investigates natural processes and elements, where the concept of time is a recurring theme. Through many experiments and through theoretical research these processes develop in conceptual works with a strong visual component.

Van der Eijk graduated from the Interfaculty ArtScience (MA) at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague, after graduating from Graphic Design (BA) at the Royal Academy of Art, The Hague. She received the Paul Schuitema-prize in 2008 and the Bio Art & Design Award in 2017. She participated in many exhibitions and her work featured in many publications. Momentum, her debut, was amongst others shown at V2_ , at the Marrakech Biennial exhibition ‘On geometry and speculation’ and at Gråmølna Museum, Trondheim during Meta.Morf Biennale. Her latest installation ‘Seasynthesis’ was commissioned by Wageningen Marine Research and executed in collaboration with NIOZ Sea Research for the exhibition Life Time at MU Artspace, curated by Angelique Spaninks and William Myers. In 2003 she founded I Wait Here, a platform supporting individual projects. She furthermore operates as a curator and producer of exhibitions


13 February - 1 March

13 Feb 
opening expo 19:30 - 23:00

14 Feb - 1 Mar
opening hours expo
We - Sa 14:00 - 22:00
Su - Tu 14:00 - 19:00

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