HYBRIS / Yana Zschiedrich (DE). Photo: Julius C. Schreiner

HYBRIS

Yana Zschiedrich (DE)

Nomination

hybris.tech

HYBRIS is an art-based research initiative presenting an innovative method for transforming waste into both art and building materials. Since 2019, Yana Zschiedrich has explored this concept through a collaboration with mealworms, which decompose polystyrene into biodegradable substances. These can replace sand in new, sustainable construction applications.

Mealworms carry bacteria in their digestive systems capable of breaking down insulation boards treated with toxic flame retardants, excreting the material as eco-friendly matter. While the mealworms create sculptural reliefs for Zschiedrich, a significant amount of excrement is produced. In collaboration with the Fraunhofer Institute for Building Physics IBP, this material was analyzed for its composition.

A geopolymer-based binder was selected—as durable as concrete, yet more sustainable, recyclable, and fully compatible with the chemical properties of mealworm excrement. Zschiedrich developed a custom recipe for large-scale 3D printing, enabling the production of architectural components from this hybrid material. This process powerfully symbolizes nature’s ability to renew life cycles and embodies the resilience and regenerative potential of biological systems.

Credits

Artistic director, concept, research, material development, production, and installation: Yana Zschiedrich
Technical support by industrial designer Alexander Skowronski
Scientific analysis and material recommendations: in collaboration with Fraunhofer Institute for Building Physics (2022–2023):

Special thanks to Prof. Joachim Blank for mentorship and critical input
Advice: Dr. Wolfram Schmidt, Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM); Dr.-Ing. Salar Tavakkol, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT); Patrick Müller, material developer

With support from: Cultural Foundation of the Free State of Saxony; VNG Foundation;
Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action; Academy of Fine Arts Mainz;
Fraunhofer: Science, Art, Design (WKD); Saxon State Ministry for Science, Culture, and Tourism

Biography

Yana Zschiedrich (DE), born 1987, Ludwigshafen am Rhein, is an artist and researcher based in Leipzig. Her practice explores the intersection of art, architecture, and ecology, focusing on sustainable material development. Since 2019, she has led the research initiative HYBRIS, which collaborates with mealworms to transform waste—particularly polystyrene—into biodegradable building substances. Central to her work is GEOBRIS, a speculative material composed of geopolymer and mealworm excrement, proposing alternatives to sand in construction.