Algaculture, 2010
Alternative ways to fuel the body
Algaculture designs a new symbiotic relationship between humans and algae. It proposes a future where humans will be enhanced with algae living inside new bodily organs, allowing us to be semi-photosynthetic. Almost enabling us to become plant-like by gaining food from light. As such, we will be symbionts (meaning that both entities entirely depend on each other for survival), entering into a mutually beneficial relationship with the algae.
Why design new food on what we have now, when we could re-design how we fuel the body altogether?
Near future algaculture symbiosis suit
Far future New bodily organs
This scenario is, among other sources, inspired by the work of scientists Debora MacKenzie and Michael Le Page who wrote about photosynthetic creatures, or what they call “plantimals” in the New Scientist (2010). Such photosynthetic organisms currently include lichen, sea slugs and salamanders that welcome algae into their bodies, in a partnership called endosymbiosis.
Performance by Noah Young, Narration by Samuel Lewis
Far future Algaculture Solarium, Stroom Den Haag, Netherlands, 2012
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Acknowledgements
Algaculture
by
Burton Nitta (Michael Burton & Michiko Nitta)
with
Performer: Noah Young
Narration: Samuel Lewis
Supported by
The Feast After Agri
Algaculture is a part of the bigger project After Agri, an investigation into future evolutions to our food systems.
After Agri reflects the rich tapestry of how food has shaped human evolution, cultures and environments. The project draws on varied areas of science, from nutrigenomics to geophysics, to give an insight into how the body and city has naturally developed to our most basic and primal need – eat and survive. Based on this research, it looks into a future of how humans might re-design their relationship with fuelling the body through physical enhancements and redesigning culture. To bring these scenarios to life, we create pieces featuring a feast after agriculture, using filmic storytelling, graphics, animation, designed artefacts, costume and performance. It features artefacts and designed systems from each of the scenarios below and diagrammatic maps of the food cultures in the future.
See also...
Algaculture Press list
Publication
Book
ISBN-10: 9056628542 Food for the city, featuring Algaculture by NAi publishers, Stroom Den Haag, 2012, the Netherland
ISBN-10: 1906908192 Material Futures 01 by University of the Arts London, 29 Nov 2012, UK
Magazine
NOW THEN Issue7. OCT - NOV 2013
PiePaper Pie "Food" issue, New Zealand
Article Cómo alimentar las ciudades del mañana on magazine Tapa pul, August 2012
Newspaper
The Observer, Technology monthly September issue, Sunday 15th September, UK
Le Soir CULTURE section, Mercredi 20 Mars 2013 issue, Belgium
Plantmens kan leven van licht, NRC HANDELSBLAD, January 2012, The Netherland
TV / Film
arte.tv TRACKS: Mutant Food by Justine Gourichon, aired on 17th May 2013 (French / German)
Online article highlights
English
A/D/O journal: MATERIALS:ALGAE by Lily Saporta Tagiuri, 2nd October 2019
Discovery News: Food Helmet Sustains You With Algae by Nic Halverson, 13th August 2013
Fox News: Helmet grows food, keeps you fed with algae, 14th August 2013
cnet.com: An algae suit that feeds the wearer by Michelle Starr, 13th August 2013
Collabcubed.com: Algaculture: Michael Burton & Michiko Nitta, 13th March, 2013
curioushistory.com: The Algaculture Symbiosis Suit
SIERRA magazine: Edible Opera: How Artists Turn Music into a Meal, Ailsa Sachdev, 27th August 2013
philippawagner.co.uk: Algaculture, Philippa Wagner, August 1st, 2012
German
DER TAGESSPIEGEL: Algen-Anzug als Küche der Zukunft, Georg Schemitsch, 20th August 2013
Japanese
kotaku.jp: すっげぇSF...！ 吐息で食用の藻を育てられるマスク『Algaculture』, ２０１３年８月１８日
アメーバニュース、すっげぇSF...！ 吐息で食用の藻を育てられるマスク『Algaculture』、２０１３年８月１８日
excitejapan, すっげぇSF...！ 吐息で食用の藻を育てられるマスク『Algaculture』、２０１３年８月１８日
msnトピックス: すっげぇSF...！ 吐息で食用の藻を育てられるマスク『Algaculture』 ２０１３年８月２２日