Material Selveges






“Indeed, our ancestors were material scientists” - Akinwumi Ogundiran


  1. Air. Atmospheric Dynamics
  2. Sound. Acoustical Structuring
  3. Mass. Graviceptive Force
  4. Smoke. Aerosol Transience
  5. Scent. Olfactory Ecology
  6. Time. Processual Temporality
  7. Temperature. Thermo-affective Fields
  8. Soil. Earthen Foundations
  9. Glass. Silicate Transparency
  10. Digital. Sensory Futures



About Material Selvedges


pronunciation: /məˈtɪəriəl ˈselvɪdʒɪz/
noun (used with a singular verb)

1. A radio-making project examining materiality through Global Majority First Nations perspectives, with a focus on Southern and West Africa.

Etymology: From material + selvedges (plural of selvedge, also spelled selvage), from Middle English self + edge. The term performs deliberate wordplay with salvage (from Old French salvage, meaning "to save"), invoking both the textile concept of a self-finished fabric edge and the act of recovering suppressed knowledge systems.



Field Notes

  1. A Cartography of the Invisible


About with another



Material Selvedges is based on with another’s third design principle:
‘Multi-Sensory Materialism’ as featured in: designmanifestos.org and designprinciplesftw.com.

In partnership with African Life-Centric Design + 16/16


Material Selvedges - Time Time. Processual Temporality


"Time is what prevents everything from happening at once."- John Wheeler

Research summary:
Chronobiology demonstrates multiple biological rhythms operating simultaneously in living systems. Indigenous time-keeping systems encode sophisticated astronomical knowledge, seasonal patterns, and ecological cycles. Archaeological evidence shows traditional calendars achieving remarkable precision in predicting celestial events and optimal timing for agricultural practices.

Time as a material:
Temporal patterns have measurable effects on biological systems through circadian rhythms, seasonal adaptations, and developmental timing. Agricultural and medicinal traditions often treat time as layered and cyclical rather than linear, with practical applications for planting, healing, and resource management. Different environments create distinct temporal experiences affecting human physiology.

Ideas we are curious to explore:
1. How traditional cyclical time concepts could inform sustainable resource management practices.
2. The relationship between place-based temporal rhythms and optimal timing for healing practices.

Senses:
Vision, Tactility, Olfaction, Interoception, Chronoception.