Mick Lorusso:

Through sculpture, drawing, installations, and interactions I examine the transformations of energy in living systems, interweaving insights from psychology, shamanism, ecology, and nanoscience. In recent installations, including Microbial Schöppingen and Biodiamond Energy Theater I applied a technology called a Microbial Fuel Cell (MFC)--in which bacteria cultured from river water produce electrical current while they break down organic waste-- to power the light for different sculptural and theatrical elements. These works aim to provoke a sense of mystery around the energy that extends through our food, our waste, and the soil of the earth, while suggesting a symbiosis between microorganisms, humans, and technology that may become integral to a post-fossil fuel future.

 

At ArtMill, I will focus on building relationships to the energies in the water, soil, and air. Through a series of playful and inquisitive experiments, participants and I will collect, reinterpret, and vitalize stories of interdependence with local ecologies, including microbial ecologies. For example, sayings or myths of the forest could direct us in designing outfits to help us sense the movement of air and even harness its energy and sound, using piezoelectric textiles or tiny hair-like wires. We may also build “microbial docking platforms” of agar to commune with the miniscule communities in the local soil and water, where we may draw associations with the stories of invisible forest dwellers, such as elves, dwarves, or spirits. We will spin new myths from our experiences to be told and reenacted over the campfire.