Microbial
Portrait
This project invites viewers to generate and print a microbial portrait based on their daily habits, reflecting their social identity. Through an interactive system, each participant receives a visual pattern made from microbial textures inspired by real Petri dish experiments. These portraits don’t show actual skin data, but instead visualize how someone lives: their commute, pet ownership, working environment, and more.
The outcome includes a generative system consisting of an interactive website and a physical installation that can instantly print the generated images. The portraits are presented in three ways: digitally, as printed 6-inch photographs, and within a growing visual archive. Together, they form a collective microbial identity system.
This work opens up conversations around hygiene and social identity—inviting people to reflect on how invisible traces can quietly record and connect our everyday lives.