THE BIODEGRADABLE DARKROOM
What happens when your chemistry becomes compost? In this workshop, we rethink the darkroom as something living, where developers, stop baths, and even fixers are built to return to the soil. All ingredients come from kitchen, garden, or common stores—safe, compostable, and easy to handle. Nothing needs to go down the drain. Nothing persists in the water table. It’s photography as part of a cycle, not separate from it.
We’ll cover:
How to design black-and-white chemistry that biodegrades
How to mix film or paper developers with garden-safe materials
Composting or neutralizing remains without special disposal
A full workflow for eco-sensitive analog practice.
This is not about nostalgia. It’s about moving forward, with chemistry that respects the places it touches. You’ll leave with working formulas, developed film or prints, and a way to continue working without leaving a trace. These processes can be applied to still photographic images or to moving image material in any format.
INSTRUCTION: THREE HOURS in 1 Session
TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 9TH - FROM 7 PM - 10 PM
LOCATION: MONO HQ 33 Flatbush Ave, Brooklyn NY 5 min walk from 2, 3, 4, 5, A, C, B, D, N, Q, R, & G trains.
INSTRUCTOR/S: Andrés Pardo of Curioso Lab, Uruguay
Andrés Pardo Piccone is an experimental filmmaker, editor, professor, and researcher based in Montevideo, Uruguay. With over 25 years of experience in film production and post-production, he has worked across documentary, fiction, and experimental cinema. He is the founder of CuriosoLab, a space for exploring sustainable photography and low-impact image-making rooted in everyday environments. His recent work focuses on historical photo processes, alternative chemistry, and the use of local or discarded materials in the film lab. He is the author of Back to Basics and A Guide to Ecological Photo-chemistry, and is currently researching Edward Bach solarization as a way to extract energy for energy-driven developers. His ongoing projects include a critical and philosophical investigation into image-making, sustainability, and the potential of analog practices to rethink our relationship with capitalism, technology, nature, and time.
INCLUDES: THREE HOURS in 1 classroom instruction session. Each participant will have the option to bring in a roll of already captured 35mm or 120 black and white film AND/OR opportunity to film a self portrait of themselves on 16mm when they arrive during session. MONO will supply the Bolex camera, 16mm film stock and lighting studio. The portraits will be used to demonstrate the developers made in class and small sections of each developer will be passed out so that each person has a developed section for their notes. All camera equipment, film stock, chemistry, materials, course packet and safety equipment will be provided.
COURSE CAP: Limited to 12 participants
PRICE: $125 - 185 Sliding scale. In an effort to make the workshops more accessible to the community at large we have introduced a sliding scale option (below) All options are equal to one registration, and your selection will remain private.