We asked self-proclaimed
biosocial designer THIEU
CUSTERS to participate in
‘The Challenge’ because of
his research into closing
‘the nutrient loop’.I’m working on creating the Ecological Space
Agency. We’re bundling forces to consider
technology from opposite ends of the spec-
trum. For one, we’re assessing if it’s possible
to fly to Mars on the power of biogas. We’ll
also continue to work on my own project,
Bodyponics, which relies on materials
harvested from humans – hair and sweat,
for example – to grow crops. Timm and I
like the idea of using technology as a tool for
sustainability. It’s not possible to revert to a
pre-industrial era, so how can we work with
solutions that are suitable for today?
So you think that humans should literally
become more involved in the hospitality
industry’s production processes? I like the
idea of having a commitment to your destina-
tion. In The Cosmos Kitchen, giving your
own bodily waste is necessary to keep the
crops alive. I’m attracted to such pioneering
explorations that force us to think pragmati-
cally and realistically about the material and
energy we consume. – TI
thieucusters.nl
ecologicalspaceagency.com43