Bioplastic Workshop
Karina
Fernandez develops installative, process-based works involving biological materials and discarded matter to address environmental
questions. The Artist is alumna of the department of Digital Arts and will work at AIL from 2 until 28 March 2026.
A hands-on workshop focused on the production of bioplastic,
introducing material recipes, testing methods, and ecological considerations. The workshop is open to students, beginners,
colleagues, and curious visitors.
Karina Fernandez develops installative, process-based works
involving biological materials and discarded matter to address environmental questions. Her practice explores the sensory
clash between organic and synthetic elements through assemblage and time-based operations, that she describes as “neo-conglomerates”
– a term rooted in classical geology and oriented toward contemporary sedimentation processes in which human-produced materials
become part of the environment. Karina Fernandez previously earned degrees in Fine Arts and Visual Arts in Buenos Aires, and
completed her diploma in Digital Arts in 2023 in the class of Ruth Schnell at the University of Applied Arts in Vienna.
During the residency at AIL, Karina Fernandez develops House of Bioplastics as a material-based research lab in which
bioplastic mixtures, plant fibers, and light-based setups are systematically tested and translated into spatial prototypes.
The project includes the production and comparative arrangement of material samplers, objects, and large-scale bioplastic
sheets in back-lit displays, the further development of a large-scale version of her previous work Bon(e)fire, as well as
workshops and informal get-togethers focused on knowledge exchange around bioplastic and fiber-based processes.
Registration
Participation is limited. Please register via: nora.mayr@uni-ak.ac.at.Open Studio: Karina Fernández and Lena
Michalik 
