MFL: The Invisible Tour

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The INVISIBLE TOUR calls for the accessioning of food transforming bacteria and yeasts (micro-organisms) as a ‘live’ collection to be housed within the Great North Museum of ‘natural’ and ‘cultural’ history.

Not only missing from the ‘natural history collection’ within this museum, these ‘micro-organisms’ are also overlooked due to their invisibility in our systems. Their actions are however visible, tasty and intoxicating. They are also a cusp of revolutionary change- in laboratories they are genetically being re-programmed to perform even more tasks- new flavours, scents and tastes. They are the stars of the new science termed synthetic biology- exact copies with new functions. The Invisible Tour’ starts its’ investigation in the Greek Gallery due to its relationship to wine, its context of trade, the terroir, gender issues regarding wine, and the transport of organisms.

From and open-call, the Micro Food Library (Alexia Mellor & Sneha Solanki) were joined by a team of super-sniffers: scientists, chefs, artists, designers, historians, archaeologists, students &  wine drinkers to sniff out the invisible organisms responsible for turning water into wine and for their sensory contribution to the dialogue of natural and synthesised micro-organisms.

Great North Museum: Hancock
Newcastle-upon-Tyne, U.K
2016