NEXUS CollectiveAbout

The NEXUS (1) Collective was founded in 2024 out of a shared passion for design and the drive to rethink societal structures. We explore how collective creative processes can help challenge existing norms and create and communicate new, alternative realities, as we perceive the dominant concept of reality as oppressive and exploitative.

Through interdisciplinary collaboration among people who work together both on a project basis and in the long term, a variety of projects are expected to emerge. As a collective, we continuously learn and grow through our exchange with one another.

The goal of the NEXUS Collective is to serve as a platform for young, creative individuals to connect and learn from one another. We promote the exchange and collaboration of people from different disciplines to develop joint projects.

This website is organically evolving into a living archive and a space for exchanging ideas and creative impulses. With a transdisciplinary and holistic approach, it aims to provide diverse insights into central cultural, social, and ecological issues of our time and to stimulate unexpected connections between themes, ideas, and practices.

(1) Nexus comes from Latin and means: connection, link, intertwining, to bind together, network.


Basel/Zurich 2024

Please
mind the Gap

Carrotsalmon

400g carrots
3 tsp soy sauce
1 tbsp lemon juice
3 tbsp rapeseed oil
1 tsp sugar
2 nori sheets

    Peel the carrots and use a vegetable peeler to cut them into long, thin strips
    Steam the carrot strips in a steamer until just tender 
    Mix in the nori sheets, torn or cut into pieces
    Smoke the mixture with smoking pellets for 30–45 minutes
    Combine the remaining ingredients to make a marinade
    Place the smoked carrots and nori into a preserving jar and pour the marinade over them
    Weigh down the contents so everything stays submerged in the liquid. Add a little more oil if needed
    Let rest in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours
    Nori-Rice Chips

    5 nori sheets
    5 rice papers
    Oil for frying
    Onion powder
    Salt
    Sesame seeds

    Lay the nori sheets with the rough side facing up
    Sprinkle them with onion powder, salt, and sesame seeds
    Soak the rice paper in a bowl of water until it becomes soft and pliable
    Place the softened rice paper on top of the nori sheet and fold in any overlapping edges
    Lay the prepared sheets side by side on an oven rack—do not stack them
    Dry in the oven at a maximum of 100°C until completely dehydrated
    Cut the dried sheets into bite-sized pieces using scissors
    Heat oil for frying
    Fry the nori chips in batches until the rice paper puffs up and becomes crispy
    Grissini

    200g all-purpose flour
    80g semolina (durum wheat)
    7g salt
    180ml water
    4g dry yeast

    Combine all ingredients and knead for about 10 minutes until you have a smooth dough
    Let the dough rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes
    Shape the dough as desired
    Bake at 180°C for approximately 15 minutes
    Then reduce the temperature to 100°C and let the pieces dry until the desired crispiness is achieved
    Spices

    Dried Carrot
    Coriander
    Paprika
    Cinnamon
    Salt & Sugar

    Dried Pine Needles
    Pollen
    Sugar

    Dried Leek
    Parsley
    Salad Herbs
    Onion Powder 
    Salt

    Dried Beetroot
    Cinnamon
    Sugar

    Basil
    Pepper
    Juniper Berries
    Salt

    Dried Orange Peel
    Anise
    Fennel Seeds
    Sugar

    Dried Lemon Peel
    Ginger
    Sugar

    Dried and Smoked Vegetables
    Pepper
    Salt
    Coffee
    crumble


    80g flour
    80g (preferably dried) used coffee grounds
    80g sugar
    80g butter

    Preheat the oven to 180°C fan (200°C top/bottom heat)
    Quickly rub all ingredients together with your hands until the flour and butter are combined and small clumps form
    Use the crumble immediately or refrigerate until needed
    Sprinkle the crumble evenly over your baking tray
    Bake in the middle of the oven for 20–35 minutes
    Serve warm or cold
    Rhubarb 
    compott


    400g rhubarb
    100–150g sugar (adjust to taste)

    If desired, purée the rhubarb; otherwise, cut it into small pieces and place them in a saucepan over medium heat
    Add a splash of water if needed to prevent sticking
    Once the rhubarb is nearly broken down, add the sugar
    Stir continuously for about 5–10 minutes, until the sugar has completely dissolved
    Best served warm—especially with the coffee crumble :)
      SourdoughA sourdough starter is alive and needs regular care to stay healthy and produce the best baking results. Here are the key steps for optimal maintenance of your sourdough starter:

      Feeding the sourdough starter:

      Feed your starter every day for 3–5 days — every 24 hours.
      Feeding means removing a small amount of starter and discarding it. Then add fresh flour and water in a 1:1 ratio, for example, 50g of flour (whole grain or rye) and 50g of water. Stir well.
      This gives your starter the nutrients it needs to stay active and strong.
      Cover the container with a cloth or plastic wrap to allow airflow, and let it rest at room temperature.

      Observation:
      Watch how your starter behaves. It should bubble, develop a pleasant slightly sour aroma, and increase in volume.
      If it doesn’t rise or smells off, it may need a bit more care.

      Feeding schedule after the first week:
      Once your starter has been fed daily for the first week, you can switch to weekly feedings.
      Remove about 1–2 tablespoons of the starter — either to use in bread dough or to discard.
      Then mix in 50g of flour and 50g of water.
      You can now switch to using white flour for a milder flavor or continue with whole grain or rye for a more robust sourdough taste.
      IMPORTANT: Once you choose a type of flour, stick with it. Sourdough starters don’t like too much change.

      Storage:
      If you don’t want to use your starter daily, you can store it in the fridge after the weekly feeding.
      You can also dry part of your starter on baking paper for 24 hours, then grind it into powder. This powder can be stored in a glass jar and will keep indefinitely.

      Cleaning:
      Make sure the container that holds your starter is clean. Transfer it to a fresh container about every two weeks.
      Regular cleaning helps prevent the growth of unwanted bacteria and mold.

      Using your starter:
      Use your starter regularly for baking.
      If you plan to use it in a recipe, take it out of the fridge about 4–6 hours beforehand, feed it, and let it become active before adding it to the dough.                                            

      Kefir

      1st Fermentation:
      Dissolve 80–120 g of cane sugar in hot water
      Add 1 date or another dried fruit
      Stir in 8 g of water kefir grains
      Pour everything into a large swing-top glass jar and fill up with water
      Let the jar sit at room temperature for 2 days up to 1.5 weeks
      After fermentation, transfer the water kefir into a swing-top glass bottle

      2nd Fermentation:
      After transferring the kefir to the bottle, various flavors can be added
      Let the bottle sit at room temperature for 1–2 days, opening occasionally to release excess pressure
      Once the desired level of fizziness is reached, refrigerate the bottle – it will keep for up to 2 weeks

      Sourdough-
      bread
      Activating the sourdough starter:
      Place 50g of sourdough starter from the jar (stored in the fridge) into a container. Add 50g of flour and 50g of water, stir well, cover, and place in a warm spot (ideally 28°C) for about 4 hours until it doubles in volume. To measure the rise, simply place a rubber band around the container at the starting level. Repeat the feeding process once more.

      Basic bread dough recipe:
      About 2 hours before the sourdough starter is fully refreshed, mix the ingredients for the autolyse: 1kg flour, 20g salt, and 700g water. Let the mixture rest, covered, for 2 hours at around 28°C.
      Once the starter is ready, add 200g of it to the autolyse mixture and combine well.
      Now fold the dough once every hour by pulling each corner into the center. Repeat this process 4 to 6 times.
      After that, cover the dough and place it in the fridge, where it can ferment for 12 to 48 hours.

      Take the dough out of the fridge one hour before baking.
      Preheat a cast iron pot with a lid in the oven at 230–250°C for about 30 minutes.
      Place the dough on a floured surface and divide it into rectangular pieces using a dough scraper. Stretch the short sides and fold them toward the center, then rotate and roll the dough into a tight ball.
      Place the dough ball on baking paper and score it with a knife or razor blade.
      Gently lower the dough (with the baking paper) into the hot cast iron pot, cover with the lid, and bake on the lowest rack for 45 minutes. After 45 minutes, remove the lid and bake uncovered for another 15 minutes.

      Let the bread cool for at least 3 hours before enjoying it!