Exhibition
Object
Research
Microbial Prophetesses reinterprets the figure of the Sibyl of Delphi—an ancient prophetess who channelled subterranean forces—through the activity of electroactive bacteria inhabiting marine sediments. Rather than foretelling catastrophic futures, the work proposes a shift towards alternative forms of sensing and signalling grounded in microbial life.
The project takes the form of a series of ritual artefacts connected to marine sediment environments. These objects operate as microbial electrochemical systems (METs), in which electroactive bacteria colonise the surfaces of black ceramic structures. The ceramic, shaped through reduction firing, functions as a conductive and porous medium that supports bacterial attachment, growth, and metabolic activity.
Within these systems, bacteria act simultaneously as biosensors and active agents of transformation. Through their metabolic processes, they generate bioelectrical signals and contribute to the biodegradation of pollutants, revealing a form of environmental intelligence that operates beyond human perception.
Rather than invoking prophecy as prediction, Microbial Prophetesses situates it as a relational practice—one that listens to the slow, continuous signals of microbial life and foregrounds their role in shaping regenerative ecological futures.
This work was developed in collaboration with Prof. Laura Villanueva, from NIOZ Research.
MU Hybrid Art House, Eindhoven
Commissioned by
BAD Award 2024
Concept, Design & Production
Carla Alcalà
Supported by
MU Hybrid Art House, Bio Art Lab, Dutch Design Foundation and Next Nature
Collaborators
Scientific: Laura Villanueva (NIOZ Research)
Generative sound: Laura Papke