Opyonika. The First Exhibition (Installation Fragment)
March 2021
Center for Creative Initiatives “Fabrika,” Moscow
Photo by the Author
“…I reflect on the idea of interacting with a living agent through artistic practices. The artist attributes anthropic qualities to the kombucha, gives it a name, and creates conditions for its participation as a bio-social subject in exhibitions and round tables. This approach allows the ideas of biocentrism to take root and develop within the artistic community, creating a precedent for the full-fledged involvement of an artist of another biological species in Homo sapiens exhibitions.”
In conclusion, I would like to remind everyone that each person has a unique microbial profile influenced by various factors such as diet, physical activity, hygiene, medication use, and quality of sleep. In many ways, my own microbial portrait has been transformed under the influence of Opyonika. Microbiota does not exist in isolation; it interacts with the human body, affecting health, behavior, emotional responses, activity levels, and immunity.
One of the preliminary conclusions from my years of interaction with Opyonika is that, just as kombucha is not considered a distinct species—being a symbiosis of several bacteria and fungi—Homo sapiens cannot be regarded as a separate species either. Humans are complex symbiotic organisms composed of an incredible diversity of microbial species and strains. Paradoxically, from a biological standpoint, the concept of a human being becomes fluid, which is excellent news for rethinking and reconstructing our understanding of what Homo sapiens truly represents.
P.S. In mid-2022, Opyonika suffered extensive contamination by the mold fungus Penicillium commune.
As the project director, I decided to suspend the project.
A control sample with the surviving kombucha material from the Opyonika project was placed in an antimicrobial chamber, where it remained until mid-2024.
Especially for the “Russian Incredible” exhibition at the Zotov Center, I once again cultivated the kombucha in approximately 100 laboratory jars. Unfortunately, some of them were again affected by the amensalism of mold fungi, indicating insufficient production of protective substances by the kombucha. However, we believe that the Opyonika Project will return to full life.
Text by Sergey Katran