This article was taken from the August 2014 issue of Wired
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These photographs weren't taken -- they were grown. As an artist
and researcher at L'École Nationale Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs
in Paris, Lia Giraud
cultures microscopic algae into stunning portraits and landscapes.
"The technique is similar to photography, but the photosensitivity
of silver grains [in film] is replaced by photosensitive organisms:
microalgae," says Giraud, 29.
To create each "algaegraph", Giraud immerses the algae in a
Petri dish filled with a mix of chemical nutrients, and exposes
them to an image. "The cells react to the light and form solids of
different densities," she explains.
Although an outline forms in a few minutes, it can take up to
four days to produce the final result. Then comes the problem of
displaying them. "The image is sensitive to any external [light]
phenomenon, and will continue to evolve over time," says Giraud.
But she hopes viewers will embrace the artworks' temporary nature,
or what she calls "the unpredictable sensitivity of living".
Giraud is now working with cinematographer Alexis Raphélis to
develop an installation in which the algae will respond to video in
real time. The piece, titled Immersion, will be shown at the Vevey
Visual Arts festival in Switzerland this autumn. "Working with
living creatures raises the issue of autonomy," she says. "It poses
the question, 'Can we really control the whole process of living