Exhibiting Artists

pHen Collective- Boldizsár Csongor Nagy, Nora Gulya, and Szonja Somogyvari

Curated by

BioBAT Art Space

About

"Colors are the mother tongue of the subconscious."
– Carl Jung
As humans, our love of color runs deep. Colors fascinate us and elicit emotions. Color shapes how we perceive the world, how we express ourselves, and how we connect to memory, place, and meaning. These impulses are innate, woven into our culture; from ancient pigments adorning temples to the inks of a child’s first marker, color reveals a primal and poignant universal language.
But what is the environmental cost of our devotion to color?

Every year, an estimated 10 billion plastic pens are discarded — enough to fill over 1,400 school buses. Most are designed as single-use, non-reusable or recyclable objects. The ink they carry can contain heavy metals, solvents, and volatile organic compounds, which damage ecosystems and affect human health.
This exhibition explores how color, science, and sustainability can intersect with biodesign and bioart. At the heart of this exploration is the pHen, a refillable marker-style drawing tool that can be 3D printed at home. Through innovative engineering, the pHen allows users to customize colors by adjusting the pH balance of fruit and vegetable-derived inks contained within the pen. In this way, one single pen creates a range of colors, reducing the need for multiple markers and their associated waste stream.
In a world dominated by synthetic dyes and disposable tools, pHen invites us to reconsider how we use color — and at what cost. This exhibition offers a look into the materials of creativity, the future of sustainable design, and the potential of biology as a medium for change.
The pHen project was originally conceived for the 2024 Biodesign Challenge, an annual NYC-based sustainable design competition attracting over 60 student teams from 20 countries. The pHen Artist Collective was awarded the Outstanding Art Prize for their design. This prize, sponsored by BioBAT Art Space, included a year-long mentorship with BioBAT’s team of artists and scientists and culminates with this exhibition.

Special Thanks to our Partners

Biodesign Challenge, Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design, American Hungarian Library and Historical Society, Hungarian House, BioBAT Inc. New York City Economic Development Corporation, and the Brooklyn Army Terminal.

A heartfelt thank you to Paul Ruberry, Tom Hall, Elena Soterakis, Doug Chapman, Sarah Hodaie, Alvaro Azcarraga, Izel Villarbara, Zoe White Leah Harper, and Makerspace for their Invaluable contributions to this project.