The 2nd edition of Perplexities in Belgium

Welcome to:
Sonifications: a one-day festival on Microbes in Art and Science

- Lectures, performances, installations
- June 18, 2024 @ 15:00 – 21:00 —
- ASIL Labs, Krook, Ghent —

Discover the sounds of genetically modified microorganisms singing – encounter bacteria that generate their own films and soundtracks in real time – hear and see single bacteria playing graphene drums?

In the second edition of the annual Perplexity event, musicians, artists, researchers, and thinkers come together for a day of reflection on microbes and sound. During Perplexities, we invite you to be curious, less serious, and more speculative! Join us, and enjoy performances, installations, lectures, and wild mixtures between the three.

Part 1: Lectures and performances (15:00 – 17:00)Marjan De Mey: Biosensors and electric signaling from bacteria – towards a bacterial synthesizer?

* Kristien Hens and Bart Vandeput: Microbial Death. Death has never left life. Thinking through transdisciplinarity by thinking with microbes.
* Freddie Ross  –  “The Consequences of Desire” How to think biotechnologies when utilized in a society governed by achievements and capitalist realism. A performance along a video, with live music.

Part 2: Reception, refreshments & connections (17:00 – 18:00)

* Ioulia Marouda – Infinitesimal (Installation)
* Bartaku: ‘D. flossonica’ Till Bovermann (Installation)

Part 3: Lectures & Performances (18:00 – 21:00)

* Per Hüttner and Robert Oostenveld – Micrsosopic sound scapes: A polymicroscopic performance with sound and image
* Irek Roslon – Listen! This bacterium is alive! Sensors made of atomically thin graphene can be extremely sensitive – so sensitive that they can pick up the mechanical vibrations from cell metabolism, thus providing a way to ‘hear’ bacteria.
*Claudio Panariello and Chiara Percivati – “WYPYM – Were you a part of your mother?” performance for augmented bass clarinet and feedback system.

The event Collaboration between IPEM (Ghent University) & Vision Forum, with support from Curatorial Mutiny. The project is a part of Transformation III and is supported by Kulturbryggan, The Swedish Arts council and Helge Ax:son Johnsons stiftelse. 

 

You can read about the 2023 event here.