N E X T . 〉

Aquaforming Mars (아쿠아포밍 마즈)

2017 ‧ Korean Research Institute of Chemical Technology, Daejeon

  • Mobilising installation ‧ bio-pedagogic provotype ‧ metabolic self-reflection ‧ interplanetary ecohealth

Commissioned for the research center’s inaugural exhibition ‘A Message from Mars’ exhibition by curator HyunJu Yu with support from Design Trust (Hong Kong), in collaboration with Sarah Daher, JongHa Choi and Tawsif Rahman.

The Aquaforming Mars! installation was a crossover of clinic parlour and travel agency which invited visitors to have their urine samples collected, tested and annotated so it could fertilise a hydroponic orchard on Mars. The premise in this donation rally for nutrients destined to Mars was feeding the imminent colonies in the deadly, extraterrestrial environment. Aquaforming is a neologism derived from the terraforming narrative: Aqua pointed to the importance of the water cycle in bacterial processes so foundational to all forms of life (known on Earth).

Gallery visitors were asked to donate small urine samples to fertilise an orchard destined to Mars.
Interplanetary nutrients donation station with tea table, info posters and plant incubator.
Urine donation kits with Urynalisis and Urine Donation Log.
Consultation for urine donation.
Urine Donation Log for food intake, Urinalysis, and personal message to prospective plant(s).
Sarah Daher explaining growing technique to scientists and director of host institute.
Ivy plants as oxygen producer in interplanetary colonisation effort.
20ml of human nutrients annotated with donor's dedication.
Biopedagogic Mobilisation
Timeline of regeneration with aquaforming propagation of lactobacilli, nutrients and biomass.