Developing Micro Temporalities (2025)

Developing Micro Temporalities is an experimental photography project exploring sustainable darkroom practices by integrating microorganisms into the analog photographic process. The core idea is to design a replicable photographic methodology using microalgae as low-impact developing agents on film negatives and light-sensitive papers. The research started with a month-long residency at AGALAB in Amsterdam (February 2025), where access to a professional darkroom enabled testing of this bio-collaborative method. The project unfolded in three simultaneous phases: cultivating microalgae, darkroom experimentation, and methodology development.

The experiments investigated how specific microorganisms interact with photographic materials and whether they could contribute to sustainable photographic development. Microalgae samples were provided by the Aquatic and Microbial Ecology Lab at the University of Amsterdam (UvA), enabling the project to engage with both artistic and scientific methods.

This project was made possible thanks to the support of Creative Industries NL.

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35mm black and white film developed with diatoms and fixed with salinized sea water. On the road to Mejillones.

35mm black and white film developed with diatoms and fixed with salinized sea water. Puerto Angamos.