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Lolo Ostia
Projects
T'IKA & TALK TO ME
About the works
TIKA : T’ika means flower in Quechua. The resemblance between bacterial cellulose and flowers is profound, particularly in their shared water content and structural elegance. Bacterial cellulose, with its flesh-like texture, parallels the delicate, water-rich petals of a flower. This connection is further enriched by the symbolism of the Cantuta Flower. During the Inca Empire the Cantuta, was a symbol of identity and unification. It embodies the essence of communal strength and beauty, much like the collaborative nature of microbial ecosystems. Just as the Cantuta Flower unified the Inca people, the harmonious interplay of microbes within bacterial cellulose symbolizes a deeper unity and interconnectedness in the natural world.
TALK TO ME : How does one communicate with Microbes? The culture of bacteria and yeast is never thought as an ecosystem of multiple living beings. After having to spend time growing SCOBY and co-living with this colony, my life was utterly changed. Every week I find myself looking forward to its development and I welcome its gelatinous greetings as a sign of a healthy relationship. This project was created using physical computing to develop a sensorial conversation with a culinary symbiotic fermentation culture (starter) consisting of lactic acid bacteria, acetic acid bacteria, and yeast.
Matter
Scoby
8.5in x 10in x 10 in // diameter 20 inches weight
2024
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Lolo Ostia is a multidisciplinary artist whose work explores sustainability through collaboration with nature and microbes. She uses bioplastics from renewable, non-petroleum sources and bacterial leather also known as Scoby leather. Her art has been exhibited at The Every Woman Biennial and the Havana Biennial. Lolo was invited to teach in Beijing and commissioned to create a site-specific installation by BioBat Art Space. She has received several residencies, grants, and is the recipient of the first Marco Castro Cosio Fellowship from the Brown Institute for Media Innovation.(Columbia + Stanford)
