A couple of months ago, I had the great pleasure of presenting my installation Microorganisms and Their Hosts once again, this time as part of the larger exhibition Pienas (Milk) at the Rokiškis Regional Museum, which opened on May 17th. The exhibition remains on view until August 31st, 2025.
This installation invites visitors to explore the complex relationships between selected microorganisms, their environments, and their human hosts. On a deeper level, it encourages reflection on the mutual influence between microbial life and our own biota—how microorganisms shape our health, and how, in turn, our bodies and behaviors affect them. Beyond biology, the exhibition also touches on how these microscopic agents may influence our aesthetic perception and lived experience.
The installation features four interrelated artworks, each addressing the theme from a unique angle. The video Microorganisms & Their Hosts presents conceptual perspectives from the consumer, the scientist, and the artist, highlighting the diverse roles microorganisms play in culture and daily life. Glass Vessels demonstrates a scientific approach to yogurt fermentation, offering a close-up view of the transformation driven by microbial processes. My Collaboration With Bacteria for Paper Production invites hands-on engagement through a DIY lab, toolkit, video tutorial, manual, and ongoing workshops, allowing visitors to work directly with microorganisms and experience their transformative potential.
A big thank you goes to the collaborators of the installation: Mark Eckstrand, Laura Kaminskaitė, Antanas Gerlikas (glass), Antanas Gerlikas, Kotryna Butautytė (exhibition architecture).
Curator of the show Ausra Gudgaliene.
Photos: Darys Baltakys & Aušra Gudgalienė
Microorganisms and Their Hosts was created in 2019 in collaboration with microbiologist Auksė Gaižauskaitė, artists Mark Eckstrand, Antanas Gerlikas (glass), and Laura Kaminskaitė (exhibition design and glass), as well as curator Valentinas Klimašauskas.
More on installation at http://triple-double-u.com/microorganisms-and-their-hosts/
More on exhibition at https://www.facebook.com/events/1488410105907710/1488410209241033/