From "Mutant Maker’s Wunderkammer" to "Mutant Maker Zero"
*Introduction to the Previous Project*
Our current exhibition project began with the previous project, "Mutant Maker’s Wunderkammer." The exhibition "Mutant Maker’s Wunderkammer" is inspired by the long-term E. coli
experiment, which demonstrates how mutations enhance adaptation to extreme environments. In a post-apocalyptic world, a sole survivor becomes the "Mutant Maker," creating grotesque figures from his memories by blending human, living, and inanimate elements. His isolated underground home is filled with cherished objects and serves as a protective shell against the harsh outside world. K. H. Strobl’s idea that terror and humor are extremes of the imagination forms the foundation of the exhibition. Similar to Kafka’s "The Metamorphosis," which explores the shock and isolation following mutation, "Mutant Maker’s Wunderkammer" depicts human mutation in isolation due to external changes. The story is created in the "Cadavre Exquis" style, reflecting the unpredictability of mutations and ensuring an exciting development.
**New Project : mutant Maker zero**
This project is created using a reversed version of the 'Cadavre Exquis' technique. Starting from the ending of the previous project, the story is written backward, gradually reaching 'Mutant Maker zero.' Relying on limited sentences, the story, created by five people in random order, becomes fragmented, failing to clearly explain why he created the Wunderkammer or the cause of the end of the world. However, the story steadily progresses toward its predetermined end, re-creating scenes of 'terror and humor' as described by K. H. Strobl.
This exhibition covers the story of a scientist before the end of the century and before the advent of mutation research. In the world before the end, he conducts long-term experiments on E. coli in his laboratory. His lab, filled with items reflecting his taste, is also laden with salt. The dryness of the salt contrasts with the dampness of the underground space and serves as both a nutrient for the growth of E. coli and a primary component of the destructive substances, facilitating chemical reactions. The large amount of salt spilled onto the floor symbolizes the end of the world, marking the transition where the only surviving scientist begins his life as the 'Mutant Maker.' The 'Mutant Maker zero' exhibition looks more like a broken space rather than a wellcontrolled laboratory. In the exhibition space covered with scattered work and salt, the remnants of the world's joy and the despair of being the sole survivor coexist. Through the story of his progression from the end to becoming the 'mutant Maker' and the world he created, we can experience one person's hope, despair, and survival.