Capitalium is a series of manually crafted 3D virtual sculptures that explore the concept of fictional material substrates, inspired by the ongoing creation of synthetic materials in contemporary science. Each sculpture imagines substances that do not exist in the natural world, questioning the properties and behaviors of matter as we know it. These virtual forms evoke speculative materiality, suggesting how synthetic materials might evolve or exist beyond the boundaries of current physics and geology.

As demand for rare earth elements intensifies under capital-driven economies, what pressures might emerge to create new, synthetic materials that could become as valuable as today’s limited resources? How might these invented substances change technological, industrial, and environmental landscapes? Capitalium invites reflection on how economic and industrial pressures might drive the development of alternative materials, potentially leading to entirely new classes of valuable matter that could redefine future economies.

Procedural 3D sculptures, FBX