Interdisciplinary
Photography
©2026 Leo Lou
Presentiment Test | 2026
This work brings together two elements that share a common material origin: Agar, a substance derived from red algae widely used in biological research as a substrate for microbial growth.
The first element is a speculative sculptural form inspired by Foraminifera, microscopic single-celled marine organisms exceptionally sensitive to shifts in ocean temperature, acidity, and salinity, developing different protective shells (known as tests) in response. Their remains serve as a key resource for scientists reconstructing geological time and past climate conditions. Taking this responsiveness as a starting point, the work speculates on how such organisms might evolve as environmental pressures accelerate. Constructed through a combination of 3D modelling, digital fabrication, and Agar casting, the sculpture may begin to show traces of degradation over the course of the exhibition, developing cracks or microbial growth depending on the conditions of the space. The work exists in a state of slow transformation, changing depending on when it is encountered.
Alongside the sculpture sits a sound-capturing device made from an algae-derived membrane, functioning as both sensor and artifact. Both elements draw on biophilia, the innate human affinity toward living systems, questioning how we instinctively respond to signs of life through both form and sound. Listened to through headphones, a soundscape assembled from field, electromagnetic, and contact microphone recordings creates an intimate contrast with the enclosed urban gallery space, drawing the listener into a different environment through sound.
Together, the two elements propose a space that moves across different timescales: the deep time of Foraminifera as ancient climate records, while imagining what future evolutionary forms these could become, and the immediate present of material transformation unfolding in the room. The work invites viewers to sense, rather than simply observe, the environment we share.
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Foram_model - early form
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Foram_model - speculative mutation |