Arts Thread

‘Moving Pigment‘ scales up and automates the process of co-designing textile patterns with pigment-producing bacteria. It enlarges and makes visible a reality that is usually hidden from sight. The high degree of uniformity demanded in the context of mass production and consumer capitalism has led to extensive usage of petrochemical dyes. These have disastrous impacts on ecosystems. In contrast, bacteria dye has many environmentally friendly advantages, including far lower water-usage and no use of harmful chemicals. Placing this method within the industry’s context is necessary to provide an alternative to the destructive status quo. Bacteria dyeing is a unique method of dyeing, creating colour-gradients and lines when guided, which can not be imitated. Nevertheless, the microbes grow in slightly unexpected ways and thus take part in the design-process. Through centring living organisms as an integral part of a collaborative production process, the outcome can be explicitly designed but never foreseen precisely. Co-designing and co-producing with microorganisms means understanding their way of growing and applying that when generating patterns. Challenging the established separation of human and non-human species can create meaningful innovation. Designing with and not against nature necessitates alternative practices and new instruments. The machine developed within this work is designed to experiment and explore the process of bacteria dyeing through automation.