Boston and New YorkBoston and NY

Printed Plants Masterclass

Swissnex, REFRESH, and the Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK) present a masterclass on locally sourced, plant-based printing.

Conventional printing inks are largely made from fossil raw materials. Even if the the paper we use every day is plant-based, the words and images we print on it are toxic and non-biodegradable — a microcosm of our relationship with the natural world.

The printed plants catalog, an award-winning project by Zurich-based visual communication designer Nicolas Wagner, explores possibilities for reintegrating ecology into printed material through a screen-printed collection of 12 plant-based printing inks. All components of the catalog are renewable, biodegradable and the majority of the pigments are self-grown, -harvested, and -produced. In addition to the catalog with color samples and information on materials and production, the project also consists of an extensive online documentation of the entire process.

Join us for a masterclass on plant-based printing, including a discussion of common printing inks, plant based inks, and local dye plants, as well as a presentation of a locally-sourced NYC edition of the printed plants catalog. Visitors will be able to explore all stages of the printing process, from plant parts, to pigments, to inks and finished prints.

The printed plants catalog is a winner of the 2025 Punch Prize. Initiated in 2024 by Swissnex and REFRESH, an international conference on design, arts and technology organized by the Department of Design and the Immersive Arts Space at ZHdK, the Punch Prize honors outstanding ZHdK diploma theses that innovatively address issues of ecological sustainability, the climate crisis, and the complex relationships between humans, nature, and more-than-human.

Program

  • 10:30am – Doors open
  • 11:00am – Welcome remarks
  • 11:10am – Masterclass
  • 12:15pm – Networking
  • 12:30pm – End of event
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Event start time

  • New York

    10:30AM

Keynote

Planetary Embassy

This event is part of the Planetary Embassy at Climate Week NYC, a pop-up venue hosted by Swissnex from September 23 to 25 in the East Village dedicated to international, interdisciplinary, and interspecies collaboration. The Planetary Embassy explores how we can work with the more-than-human world to address urgent and interconnected planetary crises through conversations, installations, film screenings, and more, with contributions from Switzerland, New York, and beyond.

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Speakers

  •

    Bio

    Nicolas Wagner

    Artist

    Nicolas Wagner is a visual communication designer in Zurich. He is also involved in various gardening projects. At the intersection of these fields, he develops new approaches to sustainable design. He has just completed his bachelor‘s degree in visual communication at Zurich University of the Arts.

  •

    Bio

    Serena Wessely

    Lab Manager
    Genspace

    Serena Wessely is the Lab Manager at Genspace, the world’s first community biology lab. With a background in biochemistry, she holds a B.S. and M.S. from Johns Hopkins University, where she used CRISPR knock-out techniques to study the biosynthetic pathway of Dynemicin A.

    Before joining Genspace, Serena spent three years teaching in Maine and New York developing her bioart practice. She integrated science and art through programs like The Outdoor Art & Science Show, which taught students how to create educational art installations inspired by nature.

    At Genspace, she oversees lab operations and the membership program. She manages equipment, develops experimental protocols, and fosters interdisciplinary collaboration. She also provides scientific support across Genspace’s programs, including classes, workshops, artist residencies, workforce development, and community-led research.

Moderator

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    Bio

    Brendan Karch

    Head of Programs and Deputy CEO

    Brendan is the Head of Programs and Deputy CEO at Swissnex in Boston and New York. Serving in this role and as Head of Research, he connects the Swiss higher education and research ecosystems to partners on the East Coast, driving forward programs at the intersection of science, technology, society, and university innovation. Before joining Swissnex in 2021, he worked as a tenured professor after earning his PhD in European history from Harvard University.

Partners

This event is presented by Swissnex, Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK), and Genspace.