Yeastograms by Guenter Seyfried, pavillon_35, Austria

Abstract: Yeastograms are living pictures carved with UV light into yeast cultures in petri dishes. In the workshop, participants learned how to grow these organisms into shapes using stencils the participants made on their computers. In a follow up online event the group discussed the results and analyzed the parameters accordingly; for example, how to adjust the yeast concentration to the size of the halftone pattern of the stencil and other fine details. In the reflection it was also possible to consider new applications using the principles of the Yeastogram method on mycelium, scoby and many more things. Günter Seyfried and Lucas Czjzek developed the Yeastogram method, which was used for components of Czjzek’s artwork Anima, trying out many setups to tease out the envisioned aesthetic quality. The recipe was published in 2013 and introduced as a “new” form of handcraft in artistic and scientific communities and ultimately to a wider public.