Post-anthropocentric itineraries in the ecosystem of the Manialtepec lagoon

Biaani’ Chitidxe’ is the Mazatec (a language native to southern Mexico) for communicate light. This is a participatory work of art that lies at the intersection of several contemporary practices: tactical media, ecological artivism, biohacking, land art, political art, and community-engaged art. More than a specific work or object, it consisted of a series of sensitive exchanges with the communities living around Lake Manialtepec in the state of Oaxaca in southern Mexico. These exchanges revolved around their relationship with the lake, water, and the bioluminescent organisms that inhabit it.

Two laboratories were organized, the first one focused on listening, between bioacoustics and soundscape, in which a soundscape album was produced with the recordings of the lagoon and homemade hydrophones to consolidate a permanent listening station for the acoustic health of the lagoon.

The second workshop involved consolidating a biohacker protocol for extracting bioluminescent bacteria (Aliivibrio fischeri), building a permanent workshop for producing biogenerated light, and training girls from the communities to operate this workshop independently. To conclude the laboratory, we set up a land art intervention on the beaches of Puerto Suelo, a pair of candelabras that illuminated a dinner with all the laboratory participants.

This work was commissioned by the contemporary art foundation “Casa Wabi” under the curatorship of Paola Jasso. https://casawabi.org/en/wabi_artist/jaime-lobato/

This Land Art intervention received an award at the Laguna Art Prize contemporary art competition. https://artelagunaprize.com/prodotto/biaani-chitidxe-communicate-light/