‘Uprooted’: Jorge Penadés and Seetal Solanki rethink the value of discarded olive tree roots

Between 2014 and 2024, Spanish designer Jorge Penadés has been tirelessly researching the olive oil production systems of his birthplace in Andalucía. His decade-long research revealed that in this region – responsible for 20-25 per cent of global production and 80 per cent of Spain’s output – a significant amount of centuries-old native wood is discarded or sold as firewood because of undesirable characteristics. These include intricate knots, embedded stones, diverse trunk shapes and excessively dense wood, all of which can damage machinery during processing.

This discovery led Penadés to ponder how materials are often manipulated to conform to design industry standards, frequently overshadowing their intrinsic qualities. This reflects an extreme industrialisation of nature, exacerbated by the shift from traditional manual olive harvesting to super-intensive mechanisation. In these modern systems, trucks shake the trees, uprooting native species and replacing them with trees systematically planted in grids designed for efficient harvesting rather than ecological diversity.

Penadés’ investigation has led to the creation of a collection of furniture crafted from discarded centenary olive tree roots. These pieces will be showcased this weekend during Madrid Design Festival at ‘Uprooted’, an exhibition curated by London-based materials designer, researcher and author Seetal Solanki. Located in Espacio Gaviota, the showcase also includes material experiments and immersive spatial interventions alongside photographic reportage of the aggressive uprooting practices by visual artist Max Creasy.

The experiments, carried out by Penadés and guided by Solanki, led to many technical challenges due to the dense and irregular nature of olive tree roots. 'Unlike trunks, which grow upwards in a linear trajectory, roots grow organically in all directions looking for water and nutrients,' explains Penadés. 'Due to this situation, the roots typically have small stones embedded within them that can damage machinery. The roots can also be extremely hard which complicates cutting, and they have a tendency to bend unpredictably during drying. These technical challenges reshaped my entire design approach.'

The resulting works show how, rather than hinder the design process, the material's characteristics can actually inform and guide it. It is an approach that Solanki – founder and director of research studio, platform and consultancy Ma-tt-er – refers to as ‘material-led’. 'Materials have always led the way and humans have benefitted hugely from the life that they have provided for us,' she says. 'We need to resume our role as being stewards for materials as they are truly the guide towards a healthier planet and lifestyle for all living beings. We can achieve a lot more with a lot less if we consider a material-led design approach.'

To demonstrate this method, the exhibition includes Penadés' experiments with the wood, which are framed as a 'material interview', using 99 questions to explore the material’s reactions to various stimuli, such as burning, cutting, and soaking, among others.

Part research, part design exercise, ‘Uprooted’ probes the wider implications of cultivation, extraction, and exploitation. 'We hope to open up a conversation that feels relatable,' says Seetal. 'I personally would love for audiences to learn that materials cannot be extracted in a limitless manner without any consequences. We as designers are the caretakers of these materials and we need to pay more attention to and provide a respectful birth, life and death for each and every material we work with.’

Uprooted opens on 8th February at Espacio Gaviota, Calle Gaviota 25, Madrid
madriddesignfestival.lafabrica.com

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