GMU:Being a Unicellular Organism/Martin Müller: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 14:34, 27 November 2021

The Idea

The live performance aims at a reflection upon hierarchical structures that are manifested between human and non-human actors. I want to hand over control (which is not possible completely of course – since I take over the role of the creator of an art piece) to the unicellular live-form of physarum polysephalum (a.k.a. slime mould). I will take over the task to provide an environment for the slime mould to grow in. The space I create will be handed over to the slime mould with the agency to interact in it. Also, I will provide its nutrition to survive. I will offer my body to the organism to feed on, if it likes to.

Technical Solution

First of all I had to get to know the slime mould a bit and grow it in smaller scale environments in petri dishes. In the next step I am feeding it with different organic material that is harvested from my body. In another step I will try to set out the microorganism directly on my skin to see if it will grow.

The goal is to increase the environment: What I can provide is a 114x70cm glass plate, covered in Medium. On different spots, pieces of physarum polysephalum will be placed. I will place my body on the plate and wait for the microorganisms to grow towards me and feed on me. The performance will probably take place over the course of one day (24 hours), with the possibility of a live audience to visit.

Pictures/ Progress

References

(Pickering: "Shared Habitats and Uexküll’s Bubble")
(Haraway: "The Companion Species Manifesto")
Tehching Hsieh, Linda Montano - Rope Piece (https://www.messynessychic.com/2020/06/16/for-a-year-they-lived-tied-together-with-8-feet-of-social-distance/)
Joseph Beuys - I liked america and america likes me, 1974 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9NWCOF0c5M&t=147s)
Phillippe Parreno (https://www.dw.com/de/philippe-parrenos-kunstwelten-in-berlin/av-44390810)
Vally Export - Tapp und Tastkino (https://www.moma.org/collection/works/159727)
Felix Gonzalez Torres (https://www.wikiart.org/de/felix-gonzalez-torres)
Marina Abramovic - Rhtythm 0 (https://vimeo.com/71952791)
Balthazar (https://vimeo.com/26256794)

initial idea

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-With my project I aim at adressing the issue of dwelling in the unbreakable bubbles of different Umwelts. At the same time I am strongly interested in finding ways to question hierarchies that are manifested between the human and the non-human.
+[[File:sketchMMller.jpg]]
-I want to provide the space for a non-human organism (probably physarum polysephalum) to grow – preferably a whole room will provide the medium for it. The goal is to investigate to what extent the organism can open up towards me and to what extend I can open up towards the organism, to make our bubbles overlap.
+'''The Idea'''
-The spreading of the organism in the space will be captured (preferably) in 360° and then made accessible as a VR Environment. Via the two modes of perception of the space – as physical and as virtual environment – our situatedness in an Umwelt, that is always framed in a certain way, is emphasized. I want to find out what it means to experience the same space, inhabited by the same organisms in two different modes of perception at the same time.
+The live performance aims at a reflection upon hierarchical structures that are manifested between human and non-human actors.
+I want to hand over control (which is not possible completely of course – since I take over the role of the creator of an art piece) to the unicellular live-form of physarum polysephalum (a.k.a. slime mould).
+I will take over the task to provide an environment for the slime mould to grow in. The space I create will be handed over to the slime mould with the agency to interact in it. Also, I will provide its nutrition to survive. I will offer my body to the organism to feed on, if it likes to.
-An idea yet to be evaluated for practicality is the presence of my body in the room. I might rehearse ways of confrontation of my body with the organism. Also in order to question modes of control between me, as a human, and my non-human co-performer I want to research about the organism’s needs to survive and its sources of nutrition. Could it potentially eat me?
+'''Technical Solution'''
+First of all I had to get to know the slime mould a bit and grow it in smaller scale environments in petri dishes.
+In the next step I am feeding it with different organic material that is harvested from my body.
+In another step I will try to set out the microorganism directly on my skin to see if it will grow.
+The goal is to increase the environment: What I can provide is a 114x70cm glass plate, covered in Medium. On different spots, pieces of physarum polysephalum will be placed.
+I will place my body on the plate and wait for the microorganisms to grow towards me and feed on me.
+The performance will probably take place over the course of one day (24 hours), with the possibility of a live audience to visit.
+'''Pictures/ Progress'''
+[[File:1638019157717.JPG|200px]] [[File:1638019121965.JPG|200px]] [[File:1638019080076.JPG|200px]]
+[[File:1638019070572.JPG|200px]] [[File:1638018993228.JPG|200px]] [[File:1638018950366.JPG|200px]]
+'''References'''
+*(Pickering: "Shared Habitats and Uexküll’s Bubble")
+*(Haraway: "The Companion Species Manifesto")
+*Tehching Hsieh, Linda Montano - Rope Piece (https://www.messynessychic.com/2020/06/16/for-a-year-they-lived-tied-together-with-8-feet-of-social-distance/)
+*Joseph Beuys - I liked america and america likes me, 1974 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9NWCOF0c5M&t=147s)
+*Phillippe Parreno (https://www.dw.com/de/philippe-parrenos-kunstwelten-in-berlin/av-44390810)
+*Vally Export - Tapp und Tastkino (https://www.moma.org/collection/works/159727)
+*Felix Gonzalez Torres (https://www.wikiart.org/de/felix-gonzalez-torres)
+*Marina Abramovic - Rhtythm 0 (https://vimeo.com/71952791)
+*Balthazar (https://vimeo.com/26256794)
+[[initial idea]]