Psychic Bacteria Lab

This is phase one of my psychic bacteria experiment lab. Five 1/4" deep circles were routed out of MDF. Symbols were placed on 4" diameter Plexiglas disks that were installed in containment unit, which were then filled with a food grade Agar and prepped for inoculation.

The symbols are a direct reference to the history of psychic research. They were originally printed as a deck of cards called Zener Cards, after Karl Zener, the perceptual psychologist who invented them in the 1930's as a means to test ones psychic abilities.

However, the function of these symbols in my experiment is quite different. The basic idea and hypothesis is that a symbol is selected at random by a computer, the graphic of that symbol is then cast out into the public via internet proliferation as well as physical printing and distribution methods. Through the act of intention and the spreading of the chosen symbol throughout a collective awareness, there will then be a higher level of growth and biological activity located above the selected symbol inside the lab unit.

In a way, one could also see this experiment as testing the legitimacy of prayer, since prayer is essentially the use of focused awareness and intention to curve a desired manifestation. However, I'm more interested in this project existing as art, which speaks to the history of psychic research since research in this fringe area of science has been conducted under strict protocol by very credible individuals for almost a century, yet it is still ignored by the contemporary science community.

How is this Art? It could be art simply because I designate the Psychic Bacteria Lab as an art object, similar to the gesture of designation in readymades of the early 20th century. But there are more specifics being expressed here about my art/science interests than what I could hope to express with a found object readymade. For more info Click Here to read my future essay titled "A Brief History of Fringe Thinkers and How Art Supports the Sciences". (If the link is not clickable, it must not be the future yet ;)

This is the template I created for the symbols seen in the lab unit. They were then cut by my buddy Miguel at Free Speed Wicked Sweet Moped Customs. I gave the dimensions for the anti-contamination cover to TAP Plastics and they had it ready in about a week. They're usually pretty quick and reliable plus the manager at their Sandy Rd location is named Robert Moog. I get it all the time for being Robert Burns so I like to give him a hard time for being named Robert Moog ;)

(initial sketch)

Stay tuned for more info as this project progresses.