Planetary Times Summer Workshop 2024: Bioreactors and Biospheres

From the origin of life to the emergence of complex species, the evolution of life on earth has been driven by a corresponding evolution in the way that information is stored, transmitted, and processed. The recent emergence of computation builds upon this evolutionary lineage, weaving together biological and technological domains through informatic feedback loops. In this planet-building endeavour, a two-day workshop will be initiated by Californian media artist  & Planetary Times summer Fellow Connor Cook and the synthetic biologist Darren Zhu.

In the first part of this two-day workshop, we engage with the theory of an “Informatic Evolution of the Planet” through a transdisciplinary roundtable discussion. In an intensive workshop session on the second day, we aim to replicate this planetary dynamic on a micro scale, using a Raspberry Pi-enabled bioreactor (Pioreactor) to create immersive audiovisual worlds. The Pioreactor can cultivate, monitor, and control cultures of algae through real-time two-way communication with a computer. By algorithmically adjusting and monitoring the balance of light, nutrients, carbon dioxide, and algal growth, the Pioreactor acts as a simplified planetary model, illustrating the intricate interplay of biological matter, energy, and information within the Earth system. Registered participants will act as mediators, using the real-time data produced by algae as input to create live audiovisual worlds using the game design software Unreal Engine.

Click here to find the detailed program.

• The working session on Day 2 (10:00 – 18:00) is for pre-registered participants only, whereas no registration is required for the other parts.
• Register via panel@planet.uni-giessen.de for Day 2 of the workshop by May 21, 2024 as the number of participants is restricted to 25 people.

The Planetary Times Summer Workshop is realized as a collaboration between Kunsthalle Giessen and the Panel on Planetary Thinking