The microbiome is considered a “second genome” for humans. It carries biological and genetic information that is able to identify who you are and contribute to social behaviors, personality, and long-term health. For our second studio course in the Transdisciplinary Design MFA at Parsons, during Spring of 2015, we were tasked with the mission of speculating on the future role of the microbiome on American civilization, and how it could change what it means to be a part of a community where the microbiome is present and visible.
The final outcome is a 4 minute video representing our design speculation in context. The video depicts "Contact Lullabies", which are nightly rituals designed to bring a parent(s) “hot spots”—parts of the body that carry particularly high concentrations of biome—into contact with the child’s hot spots. Each choreographed movement is held for a minimum of six seconds and many use facilitation tools that support and intensify the transfer of bacteria. Parents appreciate how Contact Lullabies allows them to build social-emotional connections and create biological bonds (for example, non-biological parents wishing to pass on genetic traits).
In this project I worked as an speculative designer, film director, photography director, and editor. You can see the video right here and then scroll to find out more about the design process.
The design process
Our initial approximation to the topic of the microbiome was based on secondary research and interviews with scientists and doctors. After consulting with microbiologists and gastroenterologists, we set out to extrapolate trends in society related to the microbiome that might become a reality in the next 20-30 years. To do this, we created a list of "tensions" or point of discomfort that are highlighted by the sole existence of the microbiome. These were:
1. Clean vs. Dirty: if microbes have been systematically seen as leading to disease and health concerns, was does it mean to now frame them as vital parts of ourselves?
2. Me vs. Others: there are more microbes in the body that human cells. What does that mean for our definition of the "human"? And how does that change the boundaries between individuals in a community?
3. Connection vs. Rupture: how and when are we connecting to each other, when considering the high transferability of microbes? What is consent in this scenario? And can microbes add another layer to human affection?
We set out to answering these by creating our first prototype, a device meant to be used during the first sexual act after marriage 50 years from now.
Prototype #1: Copulation Spray
Our first prototype explored the concept of mixing two microbiomes through a ritual act, as a way of symbolizing the union of two families. Families pass on their microbiome through the deposit of fecal, urinary, and salival samples in a single glass container. The container has a filter that transform the substances into microbe and human safe gels of different colors. A couple could then decide to perform the ultimate union of families by sprying the gel through the cone unto each other as copulation happens.
This prototype had some faults:
1. The object was too obscure, too abstracted from today's reality. This made it hard to take it seriously.
2. Sex seemed to be a gratuitous way of garnering attention for the object. We couldn't really find a good excuse for the spraying of the gel especifically during copulation.
For those reasons we decided to move on to less sexualized scenarios but maintaned the idea of family inheritance.
Prototype #2: Contact Lullabies v.1
To explore the idea of inheritance of microbiomes and connections further, this time we generated a speculative diagram, a design methodology used by one of our instructors from the Royal College of Arts, Elliott Montgomery. The speculative diagram places a concept in the middle (in our case, "biotic love") and then imagines how that concept changes different aspects of society. While doing this, scenarios for speculation spring up.
Out of these scenarios, we thought the ones with most potential were the idea of being able to transfer your microbiome to a non-biologically linked child, and the fact that children biome is not fully formed until they turn 3 years old.
We therefore devised the concept "contact lullaby" to describe a series of physical rituals performed daily by non-biological parents with a child to "imprint" desired qualities. From this we created a series of artifacts meant to join the "hotspots" of microbial refuge (like armpits, mouths, ears...) in the human body and those of the child.
Prototype #3: Contact Lullabies v.2
Though the objects themselves were functional, these did not translate well on camera. After a first shoot, we decided to refine our objects and redefine the motions done with them. We ended up with 5 new objects that would be used in different ways to translate microbiome from a "donor" to a "vessel" (baby). You can check out the video on top to see the results, and some images bellow.
In the end we decided to stick with objects that recreated the idea of fluidity, to emphasize connection, and that could show gooey-ness with no shame. The video has a demo feel to it that highlight both these aspects as "foreign" to our current reality.
