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This work was part of a collaborative exhibition “World Within Worlds” curated by Ivan Sukovic, that opened at the Museum of Applied Arts Belgrade in 2023. The exhibition was created in partnership between the Institute of Molecular Genetics and Genetic Engineering (IMGGI) at the University of Belgrade and Public Policy Research Center (Re:People), with a simple yet important goal – to promote the use of green and ecological solutions in art, economy, and society. Five artists creating in different mediums were invited to color their working materials with microorganisms discovered by the science team lead by Jasmina Nikodinovic at IMGGI. Artists participating in this project are Jovana Cavorovic (ceramics), Sonja Lundin (graphics), Dragana Lukic (glass and sand), Emir Sehanovic (plastic) and Emilija Radojicic (wool).

For this occasion, I was invited to create a piece from sheep wool, a material I often use in my practice. There was a lot of experimentation during this collaboration. All of the coloring with microorganisms was done in the Institutes laboratories, and it gave us varied and often unexpected results. We tested different bacteria, and were amazed by the resulting colors and textures.

It was very important for me to show as much of the coloring process as possible, which results from the bacteria eating the wool and leaving the colorful leftovers.

Since the process takes time and a lot of effort from the scientists side, we wanted to be practical and focus on creating one to three colors I could use in my sculpture / installation.

The installation is 1,75m tall and 1,5m wide. Captured by Marijana Jankovic in my studio in Belgrade.