live photosynthesis performance, Maaijke Middelbeek, Künstlerhaus, On the road again, becoming with

                                                                                            Photography: Michael Nagl

 

Part of ON THE ROAD AGAIN in Künstlerhaus Vienna from Febr. 18th to May 21st

https://www.k-haus.at/besuch/kalender/ausstellung

 

 

In the aquarium: diatoms and other photosynthesising marine micro-algae

                 that were grown in my Bioreactor

<< Soundcloud link >> Sounds of photosynthesis by Karl Stirner

 Paul Gründorfer made the reactive sound design for the interactive oxygen generator. More info below..

 

 


 

Below as part of THROUGH OOZE and SLIME

SOLO exhibition in Galerija Na Katu, Zagreb, HR

Maaijke Middelbeek, on the road again, live photosynthesis performance

 

Full installation with:

 

upper aquarium: bladderwrack, gutweed, green hair weed, water, marine salt

middle: diatoms and other photosynthesising micro-algae, marine salt, loudspeaker,

microphones, cables, tubes, pump, oxygen masks, paper mouthpieces

below: bladderwrack, toothed wrack, water, marine salt

 wood, LED lights, recycled bottles

framing galvanised waterpipes (party recycled) steel

 

 

 

LIVE PHO2TOSYNTHESIS PERFORMANCE

interactive living oxygen generator

 

Bioreactive Sounddesign: Paul Gründorfer

Sound of Photosynthesis: Karl Stirner

Above and below you see an interactive living oxygen generator. It is filled with microscopic

marine algae and seaweeds from the North Sea coast of the Netherlands: diatoms and

other phytoplankton, Bladderwrack, Sea whistle, Devil’s Apron, Green Hair Weed.

 

Maaijke Middelbeek, live photosynthesis performance, on the road again, Künstlerhaus Wien

Algae produce over fifty percent of our atmosphere’s oxygen. Statistically every second breath you take is

produced by algea. In turn, they metabolize the carbon dioxide you exhale. There is a continuous cycle of

matter between your lungs and algae cells in the oceans and waterways of the planet.

 

 

You and algae are inseparably connected.

 

Maaijke Middelbeek, Live Photosynthesis Performance, Through ooze and slime, phytoreactor, interspecies communication

 

The sound you hear is the fizzing and fizzling of photosynthesizing algae otherwise inaudible to

the human ear, each sound an encounter between your breath and the chlorophyll-containing algae

cells, the transformation of light into chemical energy and the crescendo of gas metamorphosis.

 

 

 

Video for a sound impression (best in HD)

 

 

Blow out in the machine and sing with the algae!

 

 

The CO2 you breathe out becomes part of the process of photosynthesis

that we made audible for the human ear.

 

Bioreactive Sounddesign:

Paul Gründorfer

Karl Stirner

Maaijke Middelbeek, Live Photosynthesis Performance, Through ooze and slime, phytoreactor, oxygen generator, symbiocene

 

 

Interactive objects

             for cross species communication

 

 

 

 

Details in the aquariums:

Right - aquarium down in the installation

with Bladderwrack, condensation

 

Below - inside the upper aquarium:

Bladderwrack, Gutweed and Green Hair weed

 

Seaweeds that I collected July 2022 at

Vrouwenpolder and Neeltje Jans, Zeeland NL