Fibers Vine Peels

Famous for its Kyoho grapes, the Dacun Township of Changhua County in Taiwan makes up nearly half of the country’s grape exports. However, the industry creates a lot of agricultural waste – the fallowing process produces large amounts of vines that need to be trimmed. To cope with the sheer volume of waste, local farmers resort to burning the vines, polluting the air with smoke. FIBERS VINE PEELS as a project transforms the trimmed vines from kindling into a new woven material that is stronger than paper and more flexible than wood. Inherently malleable, processed grape vine fibres are woven in a way that provides both structural strength and a degree of light permeability. Depending on the thickness, the material can be used in various ways, ranging from attractive lamp covers to eco-friendly packaging for grapes. Besides its material potential, these vines have one more final use – singular in its localised inventiveness, it serves as another feature unique to the area, boosting Taiwanese craft, and the county’s agricultural tourism.