We have since almost a decade investigated what the arts can learn from the human microbiome, the micro-organisms that we live in symbiosis with. Over the years we have carried out such collective investigations as  The Nature Inside, Governings Bodies, Microbes in the Desert of the Real and When the Shimmer of Eternity Starts to Fade. The work has been carried out in many European countries, in the Americas and Africa. The projects have been deeply loved by our audiences.

The group’s work has taken its starting point in contemporary medical research on microorganisms and people like the researcher Stig Bengmark who promotes eating habits that support the human microbiota, biologist Lynn Margulis who has shown that symbiosis is just as important as competition in evolution and many thinkers and practitioners who discusses the humans relationship to living and non living organisms.  All three underline that our understanding of how our bodies function and what a human being is, is changing rapidly. Human beings can no longer be considered to be individuals, they need to be perceived as ecosystems who live in symbiosis with a very large number of microbes.

We are now considering new alleys to go down. We will therefore undertake a one day workshop at Ekerö, outside of Stockholm visiting Rosenhills trädgårdar and Rastholmens värdshus on May 20. More will follow here in a not too distant a future.

(Photo by Till Bovermann.)