In January 2024, I made a ball gown entirely out of upcycled nitrile gloves and wore it to the Vienna Ball of Sciences. Sempai noticed me and invited me to be a ball ambassador for 2025. Of course I accepted this amazing chance for my art to reach its target audience: scientists, educators, and local policymakers.

At Rathaus Wien (Vienna City Hall), across from the Grand Ballroom where thousands of guests danced the Viennese waltz until 4 a.m., was my solo exhibition of upcycled art made from lab waste. Dancers taking a breather would stop by to take photos with my two plastic chandeliers, last year’s glove dress, and this year’s new pipette dress that I made specially for this occasion. Many people didn’t notice that everything was made from lab waste until after they got close enough to take a photo—which I take as a huge compliment, because it means that I’ve truly succeeded in transforming trash into treasure.

I had a brief celebrity moment when the local television station interviewed me and I gave a private presentation of my work to Michael Ludwig (Mayor of Vienna), Leonore Gewessler (Minister for Climate Action, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation, and Technology), and Martin Polaschek (Federal Minister for Education, Science, and Research). But this important moment was not just about me meeting famous people—it was about shaping the future by gaining political visibility. I hoped to show them that 1) there is a need for sustainable research, 2) people are interested in supporting the cause, and 3) we are already taking action but need their help to globalize it. I hope that what they saw that night resonated with them and will scoot sustainability closer to the top of their priorities.

You can read the official program notes here and the full writeup here, and watch the personal message to ball attendees from Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen here.

For details on the individual pieces, here are their gallery pages:

• Nitrile Glove Dress
• Pipette Dress
• Lab Waste Chandeliers

Photos by Ludwig Schedl.