As we go about our daily business we are surrounded by vast colonies of microorganisms, thriving communities existing largely out of sight. They may be small, yet in terms of impact and numbers, they represent the predominate form of life on earth. Menagerie of Microbes brings together the work of artists, designers and scientists who share a passion for these complex organisms, which exist in and around us. Exploring the talents, behaviours and inherent beauty of bacteria, fungi and amoebae, the exhibition celebrates biological form and function, and explores the future microbial possibilities for design, ecology and health.

Combining works from different disciplinary perspectives, the exhibition also reveals different modes of creative inquiry – how we observe and interact with the natural world, and how we work with biological materials and systems in order to create, question or communicate. Menagerie of Microbes includes such delights as the experimental remains of bacterial warfare, artworks imbued with strains of Tuberculosis, explorations into biological communication, and designs for a new form of power station driven by slime mould.

 Menagerie of Microbes is curated by Heather Barnett and James Howie (ASCUS Lab).