Hu.M.C.C. - Human Molecular Colonization Capacity (MaSm Metatransformation) (2011 / 2012)
Presentation
Concept
In this project the question is posed if there is a possibility, considering the consequences of potential global
food deficit and drastic reduction of the value of material goods, that human molecular production capacity in
the DNA, as one of the few uncolonized biotechnological materials, could become a trade tool, (based on a
system of genetic credit), which could become one of the next stages of evolution. By setting up the
intersections of science, art and civil society, we therefore wonder who bears responsibility for our body? Are
we the owners or just inhabitants of our bodies?
Detailed description of the artistic statement
Hu.M.C.C.- Human Molecular Colonization Capacity (2012) is the continuation of MaSm Metatransformation
(2011) project where the beverage containing the artist´s enzyme was made at the laboratory and offered in
consummation to the public at the exhibition. In Hu.M.C.C. the focus is put further to food industry
biotechnological production that is in its final form represented as a highly designed protein bar (containing
the product of an artist´s enzyme) which will be offered to the public to consume while at the same time the
bar will be represented as a hybrid art readymade object exhibited in a gallery. The exhibited custom made
laboratory stands as a social darwinism experience metaphor within the realm of industrial food chain
process. With all the real-time executed levels of production with public included into dialogue and
participation, the project paraphrases the concept for the waste of productive forces which was explored by
Marx, who established a connection between rising levels of accumulation of the capital and the fall of
tendential rate of profit, related to the exploitation of time spent at labor – by new waves of technological
inovation - which is in this case shown by the microorganism that produces lactic acid after being genetically
transformed with the artist´s gene. Therefore the Hu.M.C.C. project dwells in the so called "Soylent Green"
paradigm in which the fear of ecological cataclysm turns into a subtle critique of corporate cannibalism: not
only are corporations actually using people to continue to maintain themselves in their own lives but this
same people at the same time yearn for those same products. What has T.R. Malthus understood as the
pressure of population on the means of production (which is why there are not enough food/money for all),
Marx understood as a means of producing pressure on the population - this infinite desire of capital to
continue to develop, no matter if that would include even (sublime) levels of cannibalism.
Biotechnological Frame
Genetically modified microorganism – MaSm Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast that contains the artist´s enzyme,
produces lactic acid during its primal survival function - the fermentation process. Lactic acid is amongst the
most used aditives in the contemporary food industry.
The Institution
The biotechnological part of the project with the use of five major protocols has been executed at the
Institute of biochemistry at the Medical Faculty of the University in Ljubljana in Slovenia.
Lab Equipment
All of the equipment has been designed by the author and Marko Žavbi, lab. biomed. engineer in
collaboration with dr. Špela Petrič, dr. Andrej Petrič and Andrej Strehovec.
Law
By following all the Europe Union law regulations considering genetically modified organisms and food, the
product has been analyzed with the chromatography system at the Biotechnical Faculty of the University in
Ljubljana, where it was discovered it is not toxic or however harmful for human health. The product has also
been filtered with the 0.2 micrometer filter and does not contain genetically modified organism when brought
outside of the laboratory. However since the product has not been registered within the protocols of food
industry, every participant needs to sign a form and drink it at his/her own responsibility. The form contains
key informations about the biotechnological production and the analysis of the product.
Public Sphere
Presentation of the project in the gallery starts with the artists venepunction and continues with the real time
RNA isolation from her blood executed by two scientists at the openning. During the next two weeks, the
author and one of her co-workers are executing each of the protocols which lead them to the yeast
microorganism Saccharomyces cerevisiae DNA transformation. The protocols are being executed in the
laboratory set in the gallery with the guest laboratory participants – general public which has been offered a
possibility to apply to open call for cooperation. The installation also contains a chimeric fermentation process
of the transformed yeast and the offered final product – the beverage which transformed yeast made during
its fermentation process. All of the equipment has been designed by the author and her co-workers.
Responsibility
Micro-organism humanized in this way establishes a unique metabolic system artificially produced in a
laboratory as a genetical modyfied organism. The fermented product metabolizes lactose into lactic acid
which is amongst the most important aditives used in the food industry. And therefore those visitors who
choose to consume the final product, at the same time take the responsibility for their own body.
Anthropology of Fear
The phenomenological level of the project is based on the studies of the anthropology of fear. Reflecting on
the future of evolution, the molecular mechanism of "correction" that maintains the survival of the species
confirms that our successors will be different from us. Therefore, in the face of genetically modified
organisms the ontology of such insight into the reality triggers anxiety that evokes our versions of previous
embodiments that took place during the process of evolution, that is everything we were, but are not
presently, and everything we will develop into. Such awareness, as one of the key social psychodynamics,
inspires a negative attitude towards the "unclean" and aspires towards the "pure" or unmixed as
transcendental primary quality, that interconnects markers of “good” and legitimate, that is to say,
authoritarian within the law structures (of nature). At the same time, the following is interesting: even though
the democratic humanistic positions contain a high resistance to the aspirations of the pure race, it is worth
asking why we usually feel such great reluctance about crossing between different species, aren´t we then
facing our own conservatism?
Conceptual // Dramaturgical // Technological Description
___________________________________________________________________________________
Author of the project and execution: Maja Smrekar
Co worker at the filed of molecular biology and artistic advisory: dr. Špela Petrič
Co worker at the field of biochemistry and laboratory biomedicine: Marko Žavbi,. lab. biomed. engineer
Construction plan and map design: Andrej Strehovec
The project has been executed in cooperation with Institute of Biochemistry,
Medical Faculty, University of Ljubljana
Special thanks:
dr. Ana Plemenitaš, dr. Metka Lenassi, dr. Andrej Petrič, dr. Zlata Luthar, dr. Borut Bohanec, dr. Matej Šergan,
dr. Neža Čadež, dr. Maja Paš, Department of biotechnology MESP/ dr. Martin Batič, dr. Ruth Rupreht, dr. Petra
Zadravec and Polonca Krajnc, Mojca Žavbi
Production: Kapelica Gallery - Zavod K6/4
Supported by: Ministry of Culture/Republic of Slovenia, Municipality of Ljubljana, Domel d.d. / Tehtnica Železniki