LIVING DEVICES
2012-2013
Living Devices investigates the possibility of creating a series of devices that explore the relationship between biological and technological components through the lens of function. Function is understood here as the completion of a process or action that can only be fully realized through the cooperation of both its biological and technological elements — neither sufficient on its own.
The work draws on the hypothesis that organisms exist within a specific environmental spectrum, and that when conditions shift beyond a certain threshold, growth becomes impossible. It is this conditional, threshold-dependent quality of life that the work takes as both its subject and its operative logic.
The artist chose to work with bacteria and the petri plate as the primary medium and apparatus for this investigation. The JM109 strain of E. coli was selected as the model organism due to its accessibility and established presence in laboratory contexts. The design of the device is intentionally simple: through modularly configured electrical stimulation, the user is able to generate different biological growth patterns, realized as E. coli bacterial colonies. Custom petri plates were developed by the artist to accommodate electrode integration without compromising the sterility of the growth environment. The project was primarily focused on developing a method transferable to other bacterial strains — and in doing so, establishing the capacity to extend the series into broader biological and conceptual territory.
Images of some experimental results where voltage and stimulation zones were stable, but bacterial seeding schemes changed between the plates. As can be seen both by dots marked on the plates and the bacterial growth around these marked areas.
The coloration of the agar is due to the oxidization of the copper electrodes. To avoid metal poisoning from effecting the experiment results, I used gold plated electrodes in these tests, but the gold plate eroded, exposing the copper.
However, it is still visible that bacteria colonies are able to survive in part of the environment. The coloration in these tests also help visualize the electric fields surrounding the voltage points. It would be interesting to test the current flowing through different parts of the agar and observe how that may effect bacterial growth as well.
Control Circuit
Gold Plated Electrodes
Bottom of Petri Plate
Lid of Petri Plate
Holes for Embedding
Electrode Probes
Anticipated Voltage Field for
Complex Stimulation Circuit Design
Circuit Design
Basic Stimulation Module
Agar
Early prototype of the modified petri plate (left). Second generation prototypes of circuits used in actual experiments.
Protocols were developed with the support of Oliver Medvedik
For the purpose of my research, a set of protocols were developed to insure bacteria from the electronics don't transmit into the petri plate and contaminate the experiments. The above is a performative video of the 3 sets of protocols for producing and seeding the petri plates.
Design of possible electrode configurations for further experimentation.