Microfaunal Husbandry
Microfaunal Husbandry – work in progress (2026)
Created at the European Ceramic Workcentre EKWC in collaboration with the TextielLab/TextielMuseum, Netherlands
Felted wool, cotton fabric, spandex, rope, raw clay, sand, slip-cast ceramic stoneware, steel frame
Variable dimensions
This work brings the fuzzy bodies of charismatic microfauna (tardigrades, rotifers, etc) into an unhomely relationship with human scale. Bodies may be skewered, concatenated, truncated, or force-fed before being drained and eviscerated. With good luck, the cast body will later be petrified for posterity by the ceramic process — an extractive act. I call this practice “Microfaunal Husbandry.” Our toxic relationship with our nonhuman companions is something like gavage — the force-feeding of ducks to produce foie gras.
The creation of this work was made possible thanks to the financial support of the TextielLab/TextielMuseum, European Ceramic Workcentre, Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec, and Canada Council for the Arts.