jean-baptiste labrune
work

geolectric


2025 · MIT design intelligence lab

venice biennale — palazzo diedo, berggruen

A white cylindrical lantern whose fluted core glows amber, standing on a pale base
Vaulted gallery of a Venetian palazzo, exhibition tables in a row
palazzo diedo, venice, 2025
Macro photograph of a speckled grey geopolymer surface
geopolymer surface, detail

A lantern in alkaline geopolymer — a cold nanoceramic that lets electronics be embedded as it cures.

An interactive lantern exploring alkaline-based geopolymers as a sustainable alternative to consumer electronics.

Geopolymers are a class of inorganic materials forming covalently bonded, non-crystalline networks. Unlike traditional ceramics they require no high-temperature firing, so electronic components can be embedded seamlessly during production. They are close to ceramics in behaviour, with a far lower carbon footprint.