Carla Alcalà Badias (Tàrrega, 1997) is an industrial design engineer and sociomaterial researcher based between Netherlands and Spain. Through a research-based methodology and an approach to New Materialist thinking, she creates functional and sculptural objects that envision future scenarios for vernacular knowledges. By studying ancient and contemporary material cultures, her work aims to challenge prevailing notions about human evolution and technological development.

In 2019, she obtained her Bachelor’s in Industrial Design Engineering at UCH CEU (Valencia, ES) with the greatest academic honor (Summa Cum Laude), followed by a Master’s Degree in Social Design at the Design Academy Eindhoven, The Netherlands (2021).

Carla was awarded the Medialab Matadero 2022-2023 research grant and was an artist in residence at Domaine de Boisbuchet (France), thanks to the financial support of Acción Cultural Española. She has also collaborated with Valencian design studios, including MUT Design and Closca, among others. Her personal projects have been exhibited in internationally recognized events such as the Dutch Design Week and featured in European contemporary culture magazines such as DAMN Magazine.

EDUCATION

2021
2019
2022
2018

Master in Social Design. Design Academy Eindhoven (NL). 2019-2021.
Bachelor in Industrial Design and Product Development. CEU Cardenal Herrera, Valencia (ES). Summa Cum Laude. 2015-19.
Theoretical and practical Seminar “Daemon&Discord: Anatomy of the DAO”. The New Centre for Research and Practice.
Summer program with Lex Pott. Domaine de Boisbuchet (FR).

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

2023
2023
2023
2023
2022
2022
2021
2019
2018

Production residency: ‘Biochar as a design material’. Domaine de Boisbuchet, Lessac (FR). June 2023-July 2023.
Technical workshop staff at Domaine de Boisbuchet. Summer season.
Research residency: ‘Wet Crypto-Myths’. Medialab Matadero, Madrid (ES). April 2022-April 2023.
Freelance product designer. MUT Design, Valencia (ES). November 2021-June 2023.
Workshop mentor (MUT Design). ‘Twisting and Twining’. Domaine de Boisbuchet (FR). Summer season.
Workshop mentor. ‘Reencantar a las Bestias’. Medialab Matadero (ES).
Programming and Arduino workshop mentor. ‘Data Streams’. Design Academy Eindhoven (NL).
Graphic design and art direction. Closca Design, Valencia (ES).
Feb-May. Product design. Yonoh Studio, Valencia (ES). Feb-May.

EXHIBITIONS

2023
2023
2022
2022
2022
2021
2019
2018

‘Post-Carbon Alchemy’ (solo show). Domaine de Boisbuchet, Lessac (FR).
‘Cripto-Mitologías Húmedas’ (solo show). La Hoja, Nave 0, Matadero Madrid.
‘Twisting & Twining’ (group show). Mut Design Studio, Valencia. València Design Fest 2022.
‘Design Végétal’ (group show). Domaine de Boisbuchet. France Design Week.
‘Private_Eye_Butler_Spy’ (group show). Arcam. Amsterdam (NL).
Graduation Show 2021, Eindhoven (NL). Dutch Design Week 2021.
‘The Object is Absent’ (group show). MU Space, Eindhoven (NL). Dutch Design Week 2021.
CreaFest Summer 2018 (group show). Escuela Superior de Enseñanzas Técnicas. Alfara del Patriarca (ES).

LECTURES, PUBLICATIONS & PRESS

2023
2023
2022
2022
2021
2020
2020
2019

‘Biochar’ in Future Materials Bank (Jan van Eyck Academie).
‘Cripto-Mitologías Húmedas’ in Medialab Matadero website. Public presentation and conversation with Ross McElwain.
‘Digital Home Myth-Making’ in DAMN°82: Radical Domesticity. Summer.
‘Reencantar a las Bestias’ in Radio 3 (RTVE).
Death to algorithms, long live the witches! Dutch Design Week 2021.
Aprendiz Virtual in ‘Suspiros de España’ (Ernesto Artillo). Vein Magazine.
The Memory of Cladocora. Ocean Archive (TBA21-Academy).
Body Architecture in ‘The Object is Absent’. Dezeen. 2019.

GRANTS, AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS

2023
2023
2022
2022
2019

Residency at Domaine de Boisbuchet supported by ACE Cultura. June-July 2023.
BAD Award Matchmaking round finalist with ‘Microbial Smart Contracts’.
Research residency grant. Medialab Matadero, Madrid (ES). One year. 2022-2023.
Scholarship for the seminar “Daemon&Discord: Anatomy of the DAO”. The New Centre for Research and Practice.
Extraordinary End-of-Career Award for the Best Academic Record (Summa Cum Laude) 2019 in Engineering and Architecture. CEU Cardenal Herrera University, Valencia (ES).

Work

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