
A biolab equipped with facilities for biotechnology experiments and research opened on September 16th at FabCafe Tokyo in Shibuya, Tokyo. To celebrate the opening, a special exhibition featuring musician Etsuko Yakushimaru is being held. The exhibition features Etsuko Yakushimaru's biotechnology-based song, "I Am Humanity," the official theme song for the Ibaraki Prefectural Art Festival, in two formats: audio recording and genetically modified microorganisms. "I Am Humanity" is a work created based on the concept of "post-human music." Even if humanity is wiped out, new life forms could interpret the "records (DNA)" and play music that connects history. Etsuko Yakushimaru created a piece incorporating the base sequence of Synechococcus, a type of cyanobacteria, and then performed codon conversion on the musical information. By artificially synthesizing DNA and incorporating it into the Synechococcus chromosome, she transformed the Synechococcus itself into the work "I Am Humanity." The genetically modified microorganisms, which contain the music created through DNA information, are able to self-replicate continuously, making them the strongest and longest-lasting music recording media. This work is the first attempt in Japan to present and exhibit microorganisms as musical works, and has received ministerial approval from the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry. Furthermore, Yakushimaru Etsuko has created a microorganism incorporating the genes of the song "Lonely Planet," which is linked to the worldview of "I Am Humanity." This microorganism is on display at Bio Lab until September 30th. The microorganism from "I Am Humanity" will also be on display from November 10th to 20th. The audio version of "I Am Humanity" is also available on Apple Music and the iTunes Store.





















