Sonja Bäumel presents “The Textured Self” at the Textielmuseum in the Netherlands, as part of a the i Fabric. European Talent exhibition that looks to the topic of bacteria and textiles.
The Textured Self works by translating a layer of bacteria that was taken from Bäumel’s body on a specific day. The bacteria membrane consists of individual skin bacteria, as well as environmental bacteria gathered on the day in question. After being scientifically documented, researched and analysed, the scientific data is interpreted into a knitted and crocheted oversized body silhouette. The final result is an interpretation that represents a design language in the space between art and science.
Bäumel’s hand-knitted and crocheted silhouette shows the amount, colour and structure of the bacteria found on specific parts of her body and in her environment.
By translating what is normally an invisible microcosmmos in a visible, textured and oversized macrocosmos, Bäumel aims to confront viewers with the fact that the “human is a hybrid, a super organism, which obviously is only able to exist if the different form of life on the body cooperate”.
i Fabric. European Talent can be seen until 29 January 2012.
