Philippe Parreno's Bioreactor Transforms Gropius Bau into Living Laboratory

Philippe Parreno's solo exhibition at Berlin's Gropius Bau (until August 5, 2018) presents a complex mechanical and biological system that envisions a near future where artificial intelligence merges with organic life. Central to the installation is a bioreactor housing yeast cultures that colonize flasks and beakers, living, multiplying, and feeding a software designed to generate non-deterministic processes. These microorganisms act as the brain and heart of the exhibition, orchestrating elements such as pufferfish floating between rooms on three wind vortices, two pianos playing autonomously, curtains rising and lowering to create sudden changes in light, and city sounds transformed into signs that draw water lilies on a large pool surface. The exhibition includes Parreno's films "Anywhen" (2017) and "The Crowd" (2018), re-edited for the show, and a floral wallpaper from his film "Marilyn" (2012) used as decoration. Visitors sit on rotating seats to witness electric fireflies flickering on LED screens, their appearance and disappearance governed by the algorithmic whims of the bio-computer. The entire installation follows a cyclical pattern subject to variations, leading to slow mutations that absorb nature and culture.