The Mutant Institute of Environmental Narratives of Matadero Madrid (imna) has been invited to participate in the Design Biennial Istanbul 2021

On the occasion of the 5th Istanbul Design Biennial and as part of IMNA’s initaitive for the design and construction of a Cyborg Garden for Matadero, Orkan Telhan and Elii [oficina de arquitectura] present the work Microbial Fruits of Istanbul.

Curated by Mariana Pestana, the 5th Istanbul Design Biennial brings together ideas and projects that seek to define a new role for design based on empathy. As a mediator of emotions and feelings, design is presented here as a practice that takes care as its main purpose.

Microbial Fruits of Istanbul is a platform that tells the complex histories of Istanbul community gardens (bostans) from the perspective of microorganisms. A garden of gardens, a hybrid between a soil microbiology lab and a fruit tree, it displays microbial cultures collected from a variety of gardens in the city of Istanbul, which date back over 1,500 years.

Developing a new ‘oral-culture’, this installation will allow the audience to experience, empathise with, and learn about the heritage of gardens in relation to the ecological and socio-political realities of our time. When the microbial fruits are ready to be tasted by visitors, a robotic speaking parrot delivers their histories in the form of fables written for future generations. By using microbes that have evolved in the micro-climates of the Istanbul gardens, the project invites visitors to consume place-specific histories shaped by climate change.

Microbial Fruits of Istanbul is a project by the Mutant Institute of Environmental Narratives (IMNA) in partnership with Istanbul University Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Kokopelli Sehirde and Nadas collectives; supportedbyAcciónCulturalEspañola (AC/E), Weitzman School of Design and Üsküdar Municipality. The microbial cultures used in the project are shared with IMNA’s partners in Istanbul, who will continue to grow and disseminate the oral-cultures after the Biennial.