MYCODERMA ACETI

Vinegar is the result of fermentation, a mechanism that produces energy.
When we observe this process, we see that acetic acid bacteria come together to form a biofilm — known as the mother of vinegar — which protects them from external factors and enables them to produce more energy. Today, dependence on fossil fuels leads to injustice, wars, and an increasingly individualized society. Observing the processes and interdependencies involved in the production of a biofilm allows us to rethink the world’s energy systems. The mother of vinegar can be seen as a tangible example of the struggle for survival.

According to the theory of endosymbiotic evolution, single-celled bacteria came together to form multicellular organisms in order to produce more energy and sustain their existence. Likewise, we must learn to come together and create our own biofilm to rebuild the future. This biofilm — which we can also view as our conatus — will enable us to think differently about ourselves and advance collectively as a society. Because no living being on Earth is independent, and our existence depends on our ability to live together. Just like our ancestral bacterial cells, humanity must come together with plants, animals, and microbes to evolve and ensure ecological and social sustainability.

The mother of vinegar is a manifestation of transformation — the creation of new forms from what already exists. Therefore, fermentation serves as a powerful metaphor for how we might manifest ourselves.

The installation Mycoderma aceti consists of three aquariums placed on a metal stand and a video projection on the wall. In each aquarium, we see vinegar fermentations initiated at different times using apples and water, along with the formation of vinegar mothers during this process. The video presents microscope images of the bacteria forming these mothers of vinegar — Mycoderma aceti — which have been digitally altered through artificial intelligence.

This project was produced in collaboration with Corentin Spriet, Interdisciplinary Research Engineer at the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS).