In collaboration with Auksė Gaižauskaitė
Location: alt lab (Vitebsko Str. 23, room 304, Vilnius, cultural centre “Sodas 2123”)
Time: 7–8 December 2019, 12 noon to 4 pm.
A creative workshop titled “Lactose intolerant? Let’s employ bacteria!” will be organised in an alternative non-disciplinary research laboratory Alt lab on the 7–8 December 2019, located in a new cultural centre “Sodas 2123” (Vitebsko 21 & 23, Vilnius). The workshop will invite everyone interested in art and science projects, the influence of microorganisms to our bodies and our ability to control them, to join for a session of experimentation.
The use of microorganisms for “self-improvement”, for example, through the use of fermented tea, yogurt or various probiotics, is being rapidly actualised today, thus activating or even altering the natural functions of the body. The question is, however, whether similar experiments could be used for aesthetic experiences. How those aesthetic experiences could be shaped by employing yoghurt bacteria? And to what extent could contemporary art contribute to this discussion by raising similar questions and looking for answers?
This creative workshop will not only give an overview of various aspects of interrelation between our organisms and bacteria – its participants will also be able to isolate Lactobacillus and Streptococcus bacteria from yoghurt, to identify their stems and to analyse their possible influence on human body. Participants will have a possibility to experiment, to discuss and to realise their visions together with artist Mindaugas Gapševičius and scientist Auksė Gaižauskaitė. Finalised results of this workshop will be presented in a public event of the opening of AltLab, which is planned to take place towards the end of this year.
Please register by email if you would like to take part o-o@o-o.lt. Please include brief motivation in your email.
Organiser: Institutio media
Sponsor: Lithuanian Council for Culture
Partners: Lithuanian Interdisciplinary Artists’ Association, Synthetic Biology Organisation
More about the project @altlabvilnius Instagram