Living Instruments

"Living Instruments" is a collaborative project between the ensemble WeSpoke and the Swiss biohackerspace Hackuarium. During the exhibition, Vanessa Lorenzo cultivates an acoustic and dynamic ecosystem in the Schopf: a cultivated carpet of moss, liquid microorganisms and carbon gas. In the live performance, the microorganisms are transformed into musical instruments. Sounds are created on stage by heating living yeast cultures or by touching the moss carpet. "Living Instruments" takes you into a fascinating, slumbering world and playfully combines contemporary music with science and technology. Vanessa Lorenzo Toquero, born in Bilbao, lives in Lausanne. She is a product design engineer and media designer. The artist works at the interface of open science, collaborative art and digital media. Vanzessa Lorenzo Toquero is a board member of Hackuarium and a freelance member of DIY (Do it yourself) Bio-Hackerspace, an association whose aim is to democratize biology and conduct research outside of scientific research. Their laboratory is in Renens (VD). WeSpoke (Switzerland / London) is a modern music ensemble that explores different contemporary musical languages and reveals them as a performative art form.