DIARY_WEDNESDAY 19/01/11

A previous architectural project done by Steve Pike in 2001 also included microbes into an architectural design. He created portable monitor cells that included different types of media and exposed them to particular locations in order to capture their attendant microbes.

http://www.arcolony.com

Notes on his project:

• Monitor cells - exposed to particular locations and their attendant microbes to identify those specific to a given environment.
• Aspergillus - common in fabric of our built environment
• Micrococcus - populating the surface of our skin
• Competing for colonial territory
• Distinct microbes associated to plant, fruit, bread or diary material are responsible to unique visual transformations, revealing an almost epidemiological history
• Structure, facilitators, inhibitors, moisture extracts and photo sources support the flourishing growth
• Media - potato dextrose + agar or BG 11 + agar solutions

Associations with microorganisms:

she:

increasing

disgusting

negative

harmful

infection

altering

destroying

can change properties (milk, cheese,...)

causes mutations i.e. in plants, trees...

overpowering

out of control

he:

unhygienic

lurking

everywhere

danger

biological

small - invisible

in constant change

fascination

dislike

no differentiation between like and dislike - just negative

panicking

part of biological cycles

me:

system within a system

follow certain rules

metabolical processes

relationship to their environment

character

necessary / destroying

harmless when under control

harmful when overpowering other systems

adaptive to their environment

part of our environment / of us

bizarre / uncanny

beautiful / disgusting

our relationship to them not obvious

they can change our behaviour, we can change their behaviour

we judge / experience them usually by their reaction with the environment (infections...) otherwise invisible to us

negative image

our body serves as a host that houses and controls microorganism all the time

living organisms

they need food to grow

colonising / separation / social network / territories

different species depending on the environment

they can die and being destroyed - collapse of a system

antibiotics

they usually become visible when overpowering other species

laboratories - controlled growing

free environments - unpredictable results change of behaviour

contamination of structures via aerial flow or direct contact

change through different media, temperature, light...

invisible on a superficial level

visible through growing or zooming in - fundamental characteristics

disgusting insect that turns inside out (metamorphosis)

counterparts of the image we are clean

own character / personality

The Tree Man: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJLG85gn0bc

Erno Erik_Bacteriograms: http://www.microbialart.com/galleries/erno-erik-raitanen/