Workshop Statement

Chronomicroscopy is a workshop on microbes and movement, exploring the choreographies of microbial non-humans and building perceptive and affective relationships through mediation. Inspired by late nineteenth century investigations into chronophotography, capturing the movement of animals in motion over time (Muybridge, Marey), as well as the history of microcinema, videographing and enlarging the microcosmos, the workshop proposes to capture fragments of local microbial dances. Through sample collection and microscopy, participants will find signatures of non-human movement in the ecology of microbial life.

Following her endosymbiotic theory, Lynn Margulis stated that all life on earth is inherently microbial and symbiotic. Lesser known is that she was an avid microscopist, expert in protozoa, and spent hours educating students in the art of looking and observing. Similarly, this workshop aims to foster a sense of wonder, awe, attention, being with microbes. Microbes are often recognized by their morphology, or identified using tools like genetics, but paying attention to their motion patterns allows for new ways of looking and relating with their presence. This workshop proposes an exploration in four parts; first, gathering site-specific water samples in the surroundings of the conference venue. Second, learning to use microscopic setups as an art medium. Third, recognizing and naming specific microbes within the ecologies. Fourth, generating images and videos portraying the beauty of microperformativities.

• Roland van Dierendonck (NL) is an artist with a training in Biology. In his practice, he investigates new ways to relate to, experience, and understand microorganisms. He is a PhD candidate at Lab4Living, Sheffield Hallam University, using touch and time to connect with microbial presence and movement. In his research, he aims to create experiential translations of post-anthropocentric philosophies, going beyond human exceptionalism and stepping into an entangled, enmeshed, symbiotic perspective on life across spatial and temporal scales. Roland has long been interested in bio-digital hybrid collaborations, including (slow) biotic game research, DNA data storage, and, currently, Chronomicroscopy. He was a resident at Coalesce, Center for the Biological Arts in Buffalo, exhibited in, among others, Stavanger, Vienna and London, taught at several art academies and led the BioHack Academy at Waag, Amsterdam. He is a fellow of the Global Bio Community Summit, organized annually at the MIT Media Lab. https://rolandvandierendonck.com