Flavobacterium, Gâteau Vivant and the Economy of Gifting

Activity: Talk or presentation types › Conference presentation

Description

This talk critically addresses the utilization of non-human organisms as part of the economy of gifting. Our presentation focuses on the development and artistic work process with Flavobacterium bacteria.

We received the bacteria as a gift from a biotechnology company from the Netherlands. This company is working with the bacteria to understand its structure’s potential as a commercial product. Already this process of receiving the bacteria from these scientists, growing it in an art context and investigating its background and history forms a complex network of relations, actions and also protocols.

Our process involves control but also care. One can ask: Is there a difference in the treatment of living bacterial material for artistic use, in comparison to its use by companies for commercial purposes? Where is the border between care and maintenance? How is the economy of gifting established in this case, and which of the involved parties are allowed agency?

The talk is related to our artistic experiment with Flavobacterium; Gâteau Vivant.

The work is developed in affiliation with ONAPADE project funded by Aalto University / Radical Creativity.
Period7 Jun 2024
Event titleGifts/Presents/Presence - Meanings and Materialities
Event typeExhibition
LocationHelsinki, FinlandShow on map
Degree of RecognitionInternational

Keywords

  • art & science
  • structural colour
  • bacteria
  • Bacterial evolution

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