(Drafting)

Fermentation in Resilient networks and emerging ‘techno-ecological’ art practices

fermentation,net.culture, networks, resiliency, artisan

Artists are entering the fermentation game, engaging in the culture of science and appropriate technologies. The research phase of art works may include methodologies that could be recognised as science, as ethnography, as archeology and sociology, but most importantly, it seeks to embed itself in community.

Artists becoming artisans for the sake of research, of connection with the materiality of their media, or of creating media for their experiments. As much as net culture promoted the idea of immateriality, it seems perfect for transferring information that can be made real through 3d printing, sets of instructions to grow things, to make things, to cook, to brew, to ferment, to set up experiences. It was also pivotal in allowing dunbar and sub-dunbar number communities that would never be physically present in one place ever, or only once on a blue moon.

We see artists making products, food, events, and although this is not new, we can recognise a motivation to explore resiliency and the problematics of sustainability.

This 'undefined' movement weaves itself through networks such as the Finnish Bioart Society, Critical Art Ensemble, Preemptive Media, hackteria.org, fo.am, herbologies, berry commons, life.patch, HONF and bricolabs and places like SERDE and Medialab Prado, Dark mountain and unciviliations On these blue moon events, what is needed? a meal, drink, the techniques of our grandmothers and grandfathers bread baking and wine making. This paper catalogues the artist-fermenters, from finland to indonesia and beyond and maps events and networks involved in this remaking of art.