Made in Melbourne with 100 per cent non-petrochemical organic ingredients, OM Windows is a window treatment made from algae-derived polymers and locally-milled pigments by Melbourne studio Other Matter.
Other Matter is led by artist Jessie French, who was joined by Pollyanna and Elliot to create a small practice that became a company just over a year ago. At their studio in Melbourne, they spend a lot of time measuring and adding ingredients, heating and stirring materials in big pots, she explained during a panel discussion I attended recently at Jia CURATED in Bali.
It almost sounds like cooking, except the materials she and her team makes derive from algae. And importantly, unlike ancient algae which is a mined finite resource, new algae is renewable and “has the potential to rehabilitate oceans and the atmosphere through its sustainable production and harvest,” according to Jessie’s website.
In the two months since I met Jessie in Bali, she has been very busy, including creating “A Material Endeavour” at Aesop Singapore, an installation inspired by Singapore’s greenery and Aesop’s Geranium Leaf range, and a window installation in collaboration with New York-based Noemie Le Coz and Jeremy Elliot of Little Troop at Sydney’s Ace Hotel. And that’s not all, Other Matter has worked in five countries in the last year.
Now the latest news is that Jessie has been shortlisted for the Dezeen Bentley Lighthouse Award, so watch this space.
As for installing OM Windows yourself, it can be applied to windows or mirrors with a mist of water, and can be made in any colour and to a range of transparencies and patterns. Standard sheets are 230cm x 110cm, which can be installed edge-to-edge to cover large spans and it can be cut to size as well. OM Windows are priced from $1,200.
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