Mitochondrial Ontologies: Deep Time and the Digital at Mónica Reyes Gallery

Mitochondrial Ontologies: Deep Time and the Digital (a 15-minute video installation with sound) is part of an ongoing collaborative project directed by Gabriela Aceves Sepúlveda. The project uses the concept of mitochondria as a metaphor to explore the female body as a generative host of human and non-human life. Known as the powerhouse of the cell, the mitochondria control energy production at the cellular level. In most multicellular organisms, the mother inherits the mitochondrial DNA, thus pointing to the possibility of tracing maternal lineages over time through the female body.

Mitochondrial Ontologies: Deep Time and the Digital uses the generative conflations of mitochondria as powerhouse and maternal lineage to explore possible futures in which algorithms may demarcate biological and digital boundaries.  Drawing from Lynn Margulis’ (1986) endosymbiotic theory of evolution, which emphasizes cooperation rather than competition, the project also explores symbiosis as a co-creation methodology through participatory dance workshops, bacteria growth experiments and A.I. image generation.

The video combines images and sounds created by nine artists invited to participate in a series of Butoh dance workshops and to grow bacteria individually from their bodies and domestic spaces with a DIY kit. It constructs a visual narrative that reflects the possibility of tracing past lineages of humans and non-humans through the female body. It references how knowledge and information are passed down from generation to generation across bodies, machines, and geographies.

Over six months, the participating artists practiced butoh together to develop a common choreography of movements to reflect on their past and future human and non- human ancestries. They also shared their experiences of growing bacteria through audio, photography, poetry and video. Butoh’s focus on improvisation and emphasis on inviting embodied communal and individual reflections on the nature of being through visual prompts, facilitated connections among participants. The dance workshops turned into rich environments, hosts of energies, affects, ideas, and resources that inspired symbiotic interactions between the participants and generated other projects. These parallel projects and collaborations can be viewed here.

The video is directed and developed by Gabriela Aceves Sepúlveda in collaboration with sound artists and researchers Freya Zinovieff and prOphecy sun. It incorporates AI images created by artist and researcher Steve Di Paola. Choreographer and dancer Salome Nieto led the butoh workshops with participating artists Matilda Aslizadeh, Maira Cristina Castro, Lois Klassen, Alessandra Santos, Sarah Shamash, prOphecy Sun, Freya Zinovieff and Gabriela Aceves Sepúlveda. Reese Muntean and Jay Tseng provided support with photography and video editing.

Mitochondrial Ontologies: Deep Time and the Digital builds from previous collaborations exploring the relations between self and technology and the use of computational tools in live performance and video art by Gabriela Aceves Sepúlveda, Freya Zinovieff, prOphecy Sun and Steve DiPaola.