ecoLogicStudio: Glacial Drip
London-based ecoLogicStudio presented Glacial Drip: a biotechnological landscape that brought the biodiversity of the Alps into the gelato of the future. The project took place between January 18th to 22nd, 2025.
In collaboration with the Synthetic Landscape Lab at Innsbruck University and The Ne[s]t, an Italian architecture firm that works in symbiosis with nature, ecoLogicStudio created the ‘gelato of the future’, a futurist vision into one of life’s most beloved culinary treats. The gelato was inspired by the biodiversity of the Alpine territory in connection with climate change, specifically with the melting of glaciers in the region that have left new microbiomes such as mosses, lichens and algae. The project took these new microbiomes to develop something positive and potentially healthy and delicious for future consumption. But more than that, it is also a radical rethinking of how we will interact with food supply chains and the changing ecosystems that will nourish and sustain us in the [near] future.
Like many of ecoLogicStudio’s work, Glacial Drip explores humankind’s relationship to nature and how it can and needs to shift and adapt to account for the changing landscapes. The project was presented as part of the pavilion “Taste of Tomorrow” at the SIGEP, the world expo for foodservice that took place in Rimini, Italy between January 18-22, 2025.
An immersive installation designed to recall the topography of the Alpine landscape, featured gardens of medicinal and aromatic Alpine plants and microalgae cultures. It was a fresh, fragrant and sensory installation that allowed visitors to captures a sense of the landscape and ingredients before tasting the gelato.
The “gelato superfood” was created by master gelato maker Sergio Colalucci and made with microalgae such as Spirulina and dried Chlorella, which contains power-packed nutrients of 45% protein, 20% fat, 20% carbs, 10% vitamins and minerals and 5% fibre. They created six flavours that embrace Alpine landscapes: wild fennel, peppermint, sage and thyme.
Also included in the installation were 13 AI Reactors designed by ecoLogicStudio, which captured CO2 and purified the air, adding to a restorative landscape and sense of well-being. A new addition to the food-wellness world that has serious potential for future market success. While the project stems from the unfortunate loss of glaciers, ecoLogicStudio’s idea and innovation is hopefully a counterbalance to this loss, a look at new ecosystems and innovations.
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