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Plastivore
1 August 2019 @ 11:00 am – 18 August 2019 @ 4:00 pm
Free
Artist Oliver Kellhammer’s work allows you to watch the mealworms as they dine on polystyrene.
Oliver Kellhammer (United States of America)
Do solutions to our recycling crisis exist in nature?
Nature is outsmarting us. Solutions to our enormous waste problems are often right in front of us. Polystyrene is a non-biodegradable material that is a large component of our global waste problem and a major contributor to pollution. The humble mealworm has the ability to partially biodegrade polystyrene through its gut bacteria, breaking down the plastic and turning it into compost. But what if we start genetically engineering our insect friends to be super plastic-digesters? The perfect solution? Or ecological slavery?
Artist Oliver Kellhammer’s work allows you to watch the mealworms as they dine on polystyrene.
The University of Melbourne, Macfarland Court
1–18 August
Open Monday to Saturday 11am–6pm, plus Sunday 18 August 10am–4pm.