• DATES

    November 2026 - February 2027
    Every Tuesday
    18:00 CET

  • MAIN LECTURER

    Bonnie Hvillum

  • LOCATION

    Online

  • fees

    1300€ (VAT Inclusive/exemption for educational services)

  • submissions

    Applications are open until October 23
    To apply, click the "Enroll" button below

    THINKING MATTER | MENTORSHIP PROGRAM

    MATERIAL CULTURE AND CRITICAL THOUGHT

    A SEED - A POSSIBILITY
    A seed holds a possibility, and its growth depends on the conditions around it. Thinking Matter, a mentorship program developed by The Material Way, builds on that same premise. Over twelve sessions, artists, designers, writers, curators and researchers read and discuss philosophy, anthropology, literature, and art in relation to materials and material culture. The texts aren't a curriculum to absorb or apply; they're seeds: something to sit with, question, and carry into one's own practice.

    THE PROGRAM
    The program draws on voices including Ursula K. Le Guin, Robin Wall Kimmerer, Mary Douglas, David Hume, Immanuel Kant, Denis Diderot, and Eva Hesse. Their different takes on perception, harvesting, contamination, unpredictability and materiality act as points of departure, not answers.
    The program is deliberately open in its forms of response. A material may become a drawing, a text, an image, a diagram, a proposition, a fragment, or something that resists categorisation altogether. What matters is not the production of a finished object, but the development of a position: a way of looking at, thinking with, or giving form to material.

    The research developed in this program will not necessarily share a medium, aesthetic, or method. Its common ground lies in the questions that produced it. Through a partnership with Plural Magazine, this shared inquiry will be brought together and published in an article or showcase.

    PROGRAM LECTURER - BONNIE HVILLUM
    Bonnie Hvillum (b. 1988) is a multi-disciplinary artist working with the human perception of the world through material-driven installations, sculptures, and various artworks. She holds a BA in Nordic Art & Literature (2014) and an MA in Interaction Design (2017) from Aarhus University (DK). She is the founder and artistic director of the award-winning, well-recognized practice Natural Material Studio and the co-founder of The Material Way. She has exhibited at Charlottenborg, The Danish Architecture Centre, Design Museum Denmark, Copenhagen Contemporary, Salone del Mobile and Design Miami, and has guest lectured at The Royal Academy (DK), Kolding Design School (DK), AA Visiting School (INT) and Leeds University (UK). In 2023, she was recognised with the Dezeen Bentley Lighthouse Award and in 2024 was awarded as the Emerging Designer of the Year by Frame Magazine. She is a regular speaker at events and has been on the judging panel for the Dezeen Sustainability Award.

    COURSE CONTENTS

    USEFUL INFORMATION

    FORMAT

    —Weekly online sessions: every Tuesday from 18:00 to 20:00 (CET).
    —All sessions and lectures will always be recorded and available online for reference or in case of absence.
    —There will be access to digital study materials folders.
    —All sessions will be in English.

    SELECTION OF STUDENTS

    Approximately 12 participants will be selected to join this program.
    The selection will be based on students' profiles, previous projects/creations, and intent. We are committed to group diversity and coherence throughout the selection process.

    Prospective candidates should submit the following documentation using the online submission form:
    —Resume of your practice (artistic, theoretical, scientific, pedagogical...) with a maximum length of 500 words. It can be about an ongoing or new project.
    — Research or artistic portfolio.
    Submissions will be accepted until October 23, 2026

    SUBMISSION PROCESS

    Once you submit your application through the online form, you will receive the result of your submission within a week. If selected, we will email you with the final steps to complete your application. After you review and agree to these terms, your application will be confirmed, and we will issue your invoice. After payment, proof of payment should be sent to info@thematerialway.com. 

    IMPORTANT DATES:
    Submission of applications | Ongoing until October 23, 2026, or until the class is full.
    Notification of admission | Applicants will receive feedback within a week.

    FEES & PAYMENT TERMS

    FEES
    The fee for the Mentorship program is: 1.300€ (VAT inclusive/exemption for educational services).

    PAYMENT TERMS
    When you accept your seat, you automatically agree to our payment terms.
    The course fee can be paid in a lump sum or in two installments.
    If payment is made in two installments:
    First installment: 800€ before the beginning of the program
    Second installment: 600€ by the end of December

    PAYMENT METHODS
    Payment should be made by direct debit/bank transfer. For alternative methods, please contact info@thematerialway.com.

    CANCELLATION OF APPLICATION & REFUND POLICY

    If, after applying, being accepted, and accepting our terms, you wish to withdraw from the course, the following terms apply:
    No refunds will be issued in the event of participant withdrawal. Full payment remains due regardless of withdrawal. All fees are non-transferable to another course or year.

    PROGRAM DIRECTOR & LECTURER

    BONNIE HVILLUM

    co-founder
    Bonnie Hvillum (b. 1988) is a multi-disciplinary artist working with the human perception of the world through material-driven installations, sculptures, and various artworks. She holds a BA in Nordic Art & Literature (2014) and an MA in Interaction Design (2017) from Aarhus University (DK). She is the founder and artistic director of the award-winning, well-recognized practice Natural Material Studio and the co-founder of The Material Way. She has exhibited at Charlottenborg, The Danish Architecture Centre, Design Museum Denmark, Copenhagen Contemporary, Salone del Mobile and Design Miami, and has guest lectured at The Royal Academy (DK), Kolding Design School (DK), AA Visiting School (INT) and Leeds University (UK). In 2023, she was recognised with the Dezeen Bentley Lighthouse Award and in 2024 was awarded as the Emerging Designer of the Year by Frame Magazine. She is a regular speaker at events and has been on the judging panel for the Dezeen Sustainability Award.

    COMMUNICATION MANAGER

    RITA TRINDADE

    co-founder
    Founder of Through Objects, a curatorial and editorial platform exploring the narrative dimensions of objects, and co-founder of The Material Way, a collaborative platform focused on bio-based materials and sustainable practices, Rita Trindade is a Portuguese curator and researcher working at the intersection of design, material culture, and nature. With a background in design and communication, her practice focuses on the narratives embedded in objects, particularly those shaped by natural materials and craft traditions. She is the author of Nature Back to Design (2020), published by New Heroes and Pioneers, which explores contemporary design through a nature-driven and sustainability-oriented perspective. Her work spans curation, research, and editorial projects, fostering dialogue around material innovation, ecological thinking, and the relationship between humans and the material world.

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