Microalgae are some of the most ancient and prolific organisms on earth. They are single-celled proto-plants without roots, stalks, or leaves. Despite accounting for less than 1% of the Earth’s total biomass, microalgae drive the biological pump which maintains our atmosphere and the balance of carboniferous matter theirin. In recent times, holistic wellness industry is capitalising on this abundant natural resource to produce various superfoods. However, is there more to their potential? Ethan Frier and Jacob Douenias came up with a unique method to showcase this self-sustaining plant inside of a home, as art before becoming food.
Living Things: An art installation
“We are celebrating the beautiful qualities of the beneficial micro-algae by integrating them into unique yet familiar forms,” says Frier, an industrial designer who, partnering with Douenias, put up an installation of domestic vignettes in which Spirulina algae are cultivated in custom glass bioreactors designed as household furnishings. Named ‘Living Things’, this installation at The Mattress Factory, an extension of the Museum of Contemporary Art in Pittsburgh creates a symbiotic environment between people and microorganisms. “This exhibit challenges visitors to consider what the future of the domestic environment may become, especially in the context of the precarious agricultural and energy needs of a ballooning population,” informs Frier.
The three vignettes; a living room, a dining room, and a kitchen/control center each espouse a different character, and the living vessels function differently in each space. The morphologies of hand-blown glass vessels function both as lighting and heating elements for the human occupants, and high functioning photobioreactors which provide heat, light, agitation, air supply, nutrient and waste control to the living algae inside. This life support system is connected through just under ½ mile of wiring and plumbing to a hybrid between a scientific workstation and a media cabinet. At this workstation each of the nine vessel’s life support systems can be adjusted individually. The 3D printed nylon knobs embedded in the surface of this workstation actuate eighteen valves which allow for the harvesting of Spirulina when the culture becomes dense enough, and the supply of fresh liquid media to each vessel. The cabinet contains the pumps, tubing, manifolds, LED drivers, air pumps, heater connections and filters which comprise the heart of the life support system.
Spirulina superpower
While the world has been harnessing the power of other microorganisms in industries such as waste management, alcoholic beverage production, agriculture, and medicine; microalgae, however, present a unique opportunity to designers. The absence of a superstructure to organise their anatomy allows the liquid suspension in which they live to be treated more like a material than a plant. The plasticity of this living material allows us to create living structures. These living structures recycle light, heat, and carbon dioxide from buildings and their inhabitants into rich green biomass which can be consumed as sustenance, used as agricultural fertiliser, or converted to biofuel.
The microorganism Spirulina was selected for the installation for its ability to thrive in very alkaline waters, where most bacteria cannot live. As the algae grow very quickly, the character of each vessel changes continuously. The liquid becomes a deeper rich green and absorbs more and more light from the internally lit vessels. Individual Spirulina filaments which are just barely visible to the naked eye (⅓ of a millimeter long) can be seen mixing inside the glass vessels. Once filtered, the algae can be dried from a viscous paste into a fine, green powder which is over 60% protein by weight and is mostly flavorless with a hint of grassiness. The designers are actively seeking and working with bartenders and chefs to create drinks and dishes which feature Spirulina, to be specially presented during the course of the installation.
This installation contains furniture and furnishings of a possible and not too distant future where the symbiosis between human beings and microorganisms is externalised and celebrated in the built environment.
Also read April Ambrose: Green Jobs for a Green Planet
