Explore Exhibition of ‘Factory of the Living’

The exhibitions of ‘Factory of the Living’ have been showing the effects of digital technology on biology and art. This exhibition was held at the Pompidou Center in Paris. There were two pieces of each and both were in collaboration with natural living organisms. These included a H.O.R.T.U.S. XL astaxanthin.g, which was from ecoLogicStudio (built using cyanobacteria), and an Urban Morphogenesis Lab’s XenoDerma (an Asian fawn tarantula).

XenoDerma shows the spider’s mind or the perception of the spider towards how it sees the world. Spider’s web is not only for trapping of food but also for its living, sleeping and protection. They are very sensitive to even the smallest vibrations or changes in their webs. These webs give us an idea about a new form of architecture.

Claudia Pasquero headed this project. The aim of this project was to gain a more “cosmological” idea about the urban structures and architecture by relating it to these creatures and showing how they are attuned to their space. It was a digital 3D presentation of the pieces. Transparent 3D printed cubes having different lattice structures were used to show how these creatures adjust in their spaces. These creators say that studying these structures will be helpful in giving insights into the construction of multi-headed cities.

H.O.R.T.U.S. XL Astaxanthin.g was about the 3D representation of the morphology of coral reefs. It was the first 3D printed structure of the team in which the photosynthetic cyanobacteria was injected. They are having 185 different components used in them and weigh up to 271 kilograms. This structure was designed in a way that the growth of organisms was maximized. Radiation exposure was optimized for this purpose.

The people who visit the exhibition will be allowed to freely move around the structure. They can observe and engage in the bio-digital landscape. The micro-organisms born in this structure will absorb the carbon dioxide thrown out by human beings and convert it into oxygen. Biomass is also created in this process which can be used for the production of bioplastic material. Both of these structures look beautiful and interactive.