The MINIFOR bioreactor was first used by Philippe Parreno as part of ‘IF THIS THEN ELSE’, an exhibition held at the Gladstone Gallery, NY. Now, the MINIFOR has also become a part of the Philippe Parreno’s exhibition Anywhen in Tate Modern Hall, London.
The interactive and immersive installation on the hall with acoustics, music, lighting, flying objects and film is controlled by a lab at the back of a space, with MINIFOR bioreactor set-up and a computer system. The microorganisms growing within the MINIFOR bioreactor create patterns that will help to define or trigger the sequence of events in the Turbine Hall.
The MINIFOR bioreactor was conceived and engineered by Jean-Baptiste Boulé (CNRS - French National Museum of Natural History, Sorbonne University) and Nicolas Desprat (Statistical Physics Laboratory, École Normale Supérieure, PSL Research University; Paris Diderot Sorbonne Paris-Cité). During the six months exhibition from October 2016 to April 2017, the sequence of events will continue to evolve into a pattern, informed by micro-organisms that will learn to react to and activate elements of the commission through the bioreactor.
http://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-modern/exhibition/hyundai-commission/philippe-parreno-anywhen