Co-corporeality_responsive spaces in the era of Biomediality

The arts based research Co-corporeality examines the necessity to conceive the built environment beyond its misconception as a mere dead entity. The goal is to establish an interaction between a human and a living material, such as biological-polymers, in order to develop a responsive environment. This performative architecture will then be able to interact, learn, grow and decay in relation to human presence and behavior. The research behind Co-corporeality spans between free ranging speculation and rigorous applied research within the domains of material studies, cognitive sciences and performative architecture, and will be explored from three different perspectives: The first approach develops a series of responsive materials able to sense the environment and interact with a human. The second reflects on the design of behavioral interfaces, using non-verbal communication (e.g. touch, body movement, human presence and eye contact) to evoke changes and responses within the material. Thirdly, the project aims to explore architectural speculations through the production of full-scale proto-architectural installations. Co-corporeality proposes new aesthetical and technological approaches that stem from the need to re- discuss the role of material systems within architecture. This need arises from essential questions and reformulations of the terms nature and ecology brought up by synthetic biology, genetic engineering and cloning. In opposition to conventional building materials, living materials such as biological- polymers, have the capability to be tailored and programmed in relation to the environment or specific needs. They represent an opportunity to re-invent the built environment as biological entity and change the way we understand, observe and communicate with the built space. Until now, there has been no fundamental architectural research into how these theories and technologies can enable a meaningful engagement between two biological systems and in what way it would change our perception of architectural space. By investigating the possibilities to infuse contemporary architecture with living functions through the use of bio materials, Co-corporeality will use new fabrication methodologies and novel sensor systems to create a radical new approach towards responsive and immersive environments. The project setting brings together different institutions, disciplines and experts to develop an interdisciplinary arts-based research team, linking the University of Applied Arts (Barbara Imhof, Daniela Mitterberger, Tiziano Derme, et al.) with its national research partners The University of Vienna, Department of Material Engineering (Alexander Bismarck, Andreas Mautner, et al.) and the Austrian Institute of Artificial Intelligence (Robert Trappl, et al.) creating an interdisciplinary research group to undertake ground-breaking art and technology research. -1-

The FWF research project Co-Corporeality located itself at an interface between architecture, art and science. The research focused on communication with our microbial environment. The title, Co-Corporeality, refers to the union of two bodies, their symbiosis and simultaneous existence. By engaging individuals in unfamiliar communication with bacteria, Co-Corporeality asked how a person perceives their environment and inner world, which is made of and controlled by microbes. The transdisciplinary effort was led by the University of Applied Arts Institute of Architecture in partnership with the University of Vienna Institute of Material Chemistry and Institute of Microbiology and Environmental Systems, the University of Innsbruck Department of Microbiology and the Austrian Research Institute for Artificial Intelligence. The successful outcome of Co-Corporeality resulted from enthusiastic transdisciplinary work, dedicated research and strong communication between expert microbiologists, material chemists, AI specialists and architects. The goal of Co-Corporeality was to develop a responsive environment within an architectural space that interacted, learned, grew and decayed in relation to human presence and behaviour. All of the research of the project culminated in the final exhibition Degrees of Life, where Co-Corporeality became a large, spatial installation. The project was partly driven by the question "how can we speak with a living entity of a completely different nature?" As microbes do not speak the same language as us, the project investigated different modes of communication to bridge the gap. Different sensory modes and reactions were initiated in public exhibition spaces to explore how else communication can take place between humans and bacteria. This concept was built on a technology we developed early in the project called the E/Feeder which fed bacteria in response to human emotion (fear, excitement, joy, curiosity). Co-Corporeality continued to use emotional engagement as a communication tool. An eye-tracking device was developed that tracked the user's gaze, attention span, and emotional level. These responses activated chemical reactions, and changes in environmental conditions to direct and stimulate the growth of the bacteria. Co-Corporeality created a context that placed human bodies in a technological entanglement with non-human life. All of our findings are summarised in the open access Birkhäuser volume - Co-Corporeality: Of Humans, Machines & Microbes, where our researchers, renowned architects and theorists write about the experiments, concepts and installations that shaped the project. Co-Corporeality's radical approach towards responsive and immersive environments opened up possibilities for architectural systems and the future of living architecture. Its findings are foundational for a new research agenda operating at the intersection between Material Science, Design, Microbiology and Sensory interfaces. Co-Corporeality has made a significant contribution to potential architectural production through its innovative, ecological proposal for conscious integration of other living systems in our built environment.