This project aims to present an alternative portrayal of my family members. The final outcome takes its form through the microbes cultivated in petri dishes where the sample was taken from my family’s fingertips. As a high school student I was overwhelmed by the life created in petri dishes during Biology class. Consequently, I decided to conduct by myself a microbial culture and shoot macro-photos of it. Amongst them, the most distinctive sample was the one of my pet iguana which I consider as an equal member of my family. Its skin patterns were also used as a texture for the cover and back cover of my project’s book to reflect the strong bonds created in living systems, the change and spontaneous evolution.

 

The title chosen for this project is ‘Aurum’ which in Latin means ‘gold’ and it is placed in a rectangular frame as the elements are placed in the periodic table. Gold’s connection with change, equivalent exchange, evolution etc. is stemming from alchemic theories, where alchemists were dedicated to turn every material into gold, therefore to find the elixir of life.