Autarchy, a propositional installation by Studio FormaFantasma, envisions the objects of a community where the materials for living are "personally cultivated, harvested and processed to feed and make tools to serve human necessities." Italian broom maker Giuseppe Brunello and French bakery Poilane were invited as collaborators.

Co-designing in collaboration with Giuseppe Brunello, Studio Formafantasma added to the traditional straw-broom new subtile details to underline the beauty and the perfection of a timeless object.

In this utopian scenario, Sorghum becomes the central aspect. The harvested grain becomes brooms and is milled to become flour, which is baked into bread and transformed into durable vessels and lamps (70% flour, 20% agricultural waste and 10% limestone). The variation in color comes from a selection of vegetables, spices and roots that have been dried, boiled and filtered for their dyes. The pedestals used to display the work also reference Sorghum—a drying oven and a mill. The installation is meant not only as an exhibition, but also as a vehicle to share this information, illustrating every step of the production process.

More preview shots and detailed descriptions follow.

The differences in the colour palette are obtained by the selection of distinct vegetables, spices and roots that are dried, boiled or filtered for their natural dyes.

In cooperation with a chemist Studio Formafantasma rediscover old natural techniques used in the renaissance to lacquer and make the surfaces of the objects water-proof.

Egg is used as a paint to add a bright detail on the dry surface of the bowls.

The vessels and lamps are produced with a bio-material composed of 70% flour, 20% agricultural waste, and 10% natural limestone.