ABSTRACT
The human microbiome includes all microorganisms that live on and within the human body. ‘Expanded Self II’ is a bacterial imprint from the author's skin grown onto a three-dimensional agar form in the shape of the author's body. It is also interesting to reflect on the issue of exhibiting living materials in the context of public spaces and traditional public institutions. The ‘invisible’ film project was artistically rooted in the world of fashion where critical and project-oriented approaches are rare. Although fashion is a social construct perceived in the form of clothing, the world of fashion and the world’s actual needs seem strangely disconnected. Developing the capability to visualise the hidden interconnections between humans and microbes is the first fundamental step, acting to stimulate public awareness of these possibilities. It is important to ask where work on the microbiome challenges conventional understanding of the body, and where it reinforces existing distinctions and forms of discrimination.
