Close Encounter

​Jan Georg Glöckner
2019, Installation

In the 90 l bioreactor the fungus is kept alive in an artificial life-support-system that supplies it with water, sugar and oxygen which are its basic needs. The fungus adapts to this system and transforms its body into round pellets that are submerged into the liquid. The bodily presence of the fungus offers people the chance to observe and to reflect about so called “natural” and artificial habitats. A small reference library composed of science facts and science fiction shall aid in this process and shall also encourage to fabulate in the presence of the living fungus.
In collaboration with Janis Liepins (PhD), researcher at the Institute for Microbiology and Biotechnology at the University of Latvia, Rīga.
Scientific consultants: Diana Meiere and Inita Daniele from the Latvian Museum of Natural History, Dr. silv. Tālis Gaitnieks and Dr. biol. Natālija Burņeviča from the Latvian State Forest Research Institute “Silava”, the Latvian Mycology Society.

Related media