Corrientes Variables x Centre del Carme Cultura Contemporània (CCCC)

Corrientes Variables is an installation that brings together a living ecosystem in which bacteria, minerals, water, insects, and human agencies coexist in a continuous exchange of matter and energy. The work highlights bacterial metabolic processes, revealing forms of non-human intelligence that have existed since the origins of early life on Earth.

The black ceramic pieces act as microbial fuel cells: on their surfaces, electroactive soil bacteria form biofilms capable of transforming organic matter into bioelectrical activity. This energy, produced slowly and variably, powers a central fountain whose water flow directly responds to bacterial metabolic activity. The expelled water is recirculated through a self-irrigation system that maintains optimal moisture conditions for the biocells and sustains the system’s overall balance. Other bacterial communities also participate in this ecosystem too, forming complex structures that reinforce the clay barrier through biomineralisation processes.

Rather than presenting technology as a means of control, Corrientes Variables puts forward the idea of biodesign as a relational and cultural practice, based on reciprocity and coexistence with the ecosystems we inhabit.

Exhibited at
Centre del Carme, Sala Contrafuertes

Commissioned by
Área de Acción Cultural de la UPV

Concept, Design & Production
Carla Alcalà

Organised by
Consorci de Museus de la Comunitat Valenciana
and Área de Acción Cultural UPV

Supported by
Vicerrectorado de Arte, Ciencia Tecnología y Sociedad de la UPV and Fundación Española para la Ciencia y la Tecnología (FECYT)

Collaborators
SB2CL UPV, IBMCP (UPV-CSIC), Jaime Romero, Javier Valero Cuadrado, Carlos Cataluña Ronda

Carla Alcalà Badias

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