Olivia Ioannou
Cheese. Wine. Chocolate. Bread. Some of the most common foods that have undergone fermentation. The process of fermentation transforms the raw ingredients they are derived from into more flavourful, nutritious and durable culinary goods.
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A sourdough starter is a symbiotic culture of wild yeast and bacteria, traditionally used to make bread. These microbes are responsible for giving sourdough bread its distinct sour taste and chewy, yet airy texture. After initiating the life of my own sourdough starter, feeding it to keep it alive and healthy, I have grown to care for it not just as any other material, but as something that is breathing, excreting, replicating. Allowing your senses to become vulnerable to the process of fermentation, leads to a deeper understanding of the culture’s life cycle, as each sense provides a different perspective to perceive the activity and state of these microbes.
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In an effort to give these microbes in my sourdough a voice, I have created a new environment for the sourdough to ferment, which allows me to record data from its environment, such as the carbon dioxide levels, a by-product of fermentation. This information is translated into sound, constructing the microbial symphony, creating a new way to experience the energy and existence of microbes through an abstracted audial form.
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By challenging the boundaries between our food, our bodies and microbes, we can begin to question the bad reputation we have created around microbes and explore the possible benefits of building a better relationship with them.
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Could a conscious interaction with a microbial culture help re-establish our relationship with the natural world?
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Music Samples by Ama//Mizu
I wanted to explore the potential of the Bubble as an education tool