The autumn exhibition Rindon Johnson: Best Synthetic Answer features the artwork Best Synthetic Answer #3 and a half…(2024) on the third floor. This piece, consisting of blue-green algae, BG-11 medium, glass, and pumping system, is a truly 'living' work. The blue-green algae emits a pink glow when active, but their life cycle is short, and visitors may encounter them just as their life is fading away. As the smallest unit in the exhibition’s Pacific-viewing realm, the blue-green algae occupies an entire floor on their own, just as they exist in the ocean—tiny yet essential.
The cultivation of the glowing blue-green algae was completed in collaboration with Professor Wang Xinyu from the Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences. In Professor Wang and his team's work, a wide variety of algae are applied in diverse scenarios. Professor Wang shared with the public their daily work with microorganisms, the multiple roles of algae in the ocean, and why we should pay attention to algae.
秋季新展“林顿·约翰逊：最佳合成答案”三楼呈现的作品《最佳合成答案 #3号 半：协议转换器原型……》由蓝藻、BG-11培养基、玻璃和泵系统组成。海藻是一种海洋中的微生物，对海洋环境有生态调节作用。这种活性微生物也被用于替代光源的科学研发，作为材料实验。约翰逊使用海藻作为一种生命周期时间的体现，可以说，这是一件活着的作品——在展览期间，海藻本身的生命状态会发生变化，而这种并未与世隔绝的有机体生命的动态变化也是约翰逊的思考。也许观众在某时某刻进入展厅，正遇上它生命消逝的过程。蓝藻是“最佳合成答案”中阐释海洋的最小单位，在一整层幽暗的展厅中，闪烁其微小的存在。
这次发光蓝藻培育是美术馆与中国科学院深圳先进技术研究院副研究员王新宇合作完成的。在王新宇和团队的工作中，藻类被应用生物固碳和生物发电方面。王新宇将与公众分享和微生物一起工作的日常、藻类在海洋中的多重角色，以及我们为什么关注藻类。