Making kin with Bacteria
After reading the Companion Species manifesto by Donna Harraway, I started questioning the relationship between humans and bacteria. What if they would be seen as companions instead of a threat?
To understand the stakes of this challenge, I grew a culture of microbial cellulose that I applied on my skin every day. The microorganisms that keep this culture alive feed themselves with my dead skin cells. It makes them thrive and provide yeast that I can use to produce a kombucha drink. We feed each other, slowly reaching a form of symbiotic relationship.
By investigating our fears in relation to the microbial world, this performative research/video essay unveils the sociocultural norms imposed by our oversanitized society where the human skin is used as a canvas for interspecies interaction.
2020