kombuτέχ

A SCOBY is a lichen-like symbiosis of yeast (a fungus) and bacteria. kombuτέχ is generated by Komagataeibacter xylinus which excretes fine fibrils of cellulose.

Yeasts (Saccharomyces) ferment sugars, producing ethanol and CO₂ that feed the acetic acid bacteria.
In a specific pH range, the yeast grows in budding chains around the bacteria, sealing it off from intruders and aerating the culture.
There are other symbionts like Gluconacetobacter kombuchae, Schizosaccharomyces pombe, Torulaspora delbrueckii, Pichia fermentans.

The culture is floating on top of the substrate, right where the elements water and air meet.

The alga ascends through the mushroom from the water.

Bones

The tannins from the tea make the cellulose condense into a SCOBY on top of the substrate. Without tea, kombucha becomes a glassy jelly.

Adding siliceous earth into a tealess kombucha, filaments will grow, reaching from the sediment at the bottom of the container up to the surface (Ascending light process, Gestaltbildeprozess).

Those filamental tubes hold crystals of siliceous earth in their core.

Universal canvas

Kombucha membrane on core board
190 cm × 60 cm × 1.3 cm each

Cellulose is the most common organic compound in the biosphere.

Mask

Kombucha membrane mask from clay mould
Length: 15 cm

Starry

It is fascinating to paint on kombucha membrane with glow in the dark color. It is like painting with light onto bronze or color negative film.

M

This figurine was made in 1997 from white clay and is still in unfired state. In 1999, the eye was painted with glow in the dark color, it was clothed in kombucha membrane and coated with latex.

• white clay
• glow in the dark paint
• kombucha membrane
• latex

Height: 16 cm

maks

In the guestbook of Europe's first Body Worlds exhibition in Mannheim 1997, I left my notice of regret that no lampshades made from human skin were available in the souvenir shop.

maks is a collage from 1999, inspired by Maksymilian Kolbe and the painful awareness of pop culture instrumentalizing sacred domains.

The original object is lost and very few images remain. The skeleton was painted with eight layers of phosphorescent lacquer actively glowing through the skin.

• lightning conductor wire, aluminum, 8 mm
• nitrocellulose lacquer
• phosphor pigments
• kombucha membrane
• indian ink
• soy protein
• borax
• mineral based color pigments
• latex

Size: 40 cm

Further kombucha artists & engineers

These experiments date back in 1999. A decade later I found others working with this organism in the sphere of art, which encouraged me to publish my experiences.

Haruko Okano

“When you dry it, though, it goes translucent, and it’s like dried human skin. So that was the motivation to use this material for talking about racism.”

[from an interview in October 2000]

Transvisceral Borders, Vancouver, 1997.

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Daniel Hopp
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