Post-anthropocentric itineraries in the ecosystem of the Manialtepec lagoon.

Biaani’ Chitidxe’ means communicate light in mazatec, a language spoken in the state of Oaxaca.

This is a participative work of art that consists of different approaches to the ecosystem of the Manialtepec lagoon with the communities that live around it. It implied the implementation of new media art strategies for the awareness of the communities and for the construction of their identity as a people of bioluminescence.

The Manialtepec lagoon is located on the coast of Oaxaca in southern Mexico. It is a mangrove system with connection to the sea in which the phenomenon of bioluminescence occurs due to the presence of dinoflagellates. This has made the place very famous and the communities that live around the lagoon live off the tourism that goes to witness this phenomenon.

This ecosystem is very special due to the mixture of variables that meet there, it is a mixture of salt water, fresh water and thermal water, a mixture of jungle and mangroves, which in turn is a mixture of red mangrove and white mangrove, it is also a coastal lagoon so the exchange with the Pacific Ocean adds richness to the context, due to these factors the biodiversity is impressive, but even so, the dinoflagellate is the being that is most located in the imaginary of the communities because it orders the social life of the lagoon due to its importance as a main economic activity.

The main objective of this project was to help the inhabitants of the communities to set up a biohacking laboratory in the lagoon so that they could carry out the Aliivibrio fischeri bacteria extraction protocol, as well as consolidate a biohacking protocol for the extraction of dinoflagellates.

Around this objective, other activities were also organized to understand this ecosystem as a living being and not only as a commercial asset that can be exploited to generate economic income. Visual, sound and molecular landscaping. To end the action, we set up two bioluminescent chandeliers on Puerto Suelo beach to light up a dinner with everyone involved.