A series of lightboxes containing smart materials and Scanning Electron Micrographs (SEM) of Honeybee parts and pollen grains. The artist studies the processes by which nature operates and how she can use these processes to create her own intelligent materials. She experiments with a range of organic components; for these lightboxes she worked with fabrics that are spun by Acetobacter xylinum bacteria from nano cellulose fibers. Additives to the growth medium of the bacteria can change specific properties of the material as color or durability. AnneMarie Maes experimented for the color of the microbial skins with natural additives as curcuma, beetroot and cochineal dyes.
Biography:
AnneMarie Maes (b. 1955) is recognised as a pioneer in art-science projects in Belgium. On the rooftop of her studio in Brussels, she has created an open-air lab and experimental garden where she studies the processes that nature employs to create form. Combining 3d-printing, computer-programmed fabrication with traditional craftsmanship and biotechnology, Maes discovered a new medium for painting and sculpting.
