The human body has always been the centre of artistic expression. Serving as a universal symbol of life and identity, human bodies help artists encapsulate their perspectives of human existence in art. Discovering that our bodies host numerous microbes has changed not only the way we see ourselves but also how we express our presence in the world. This revelation has given rise to a new genre of art that blends biology and creativity, redefining our understanding of identity and existence, as explained by Antonios Michas in this #FEMSmicroBlog. #MicrobiologyInArt
Exploring ourselves
The concept of the human microbiome has captivated artistic imaginations and resulted in works that incorporate or are influenced by the microbes inhabiting us. Artists exploring human microbiomes seek to express the interconnectedness between humans and the microscopic organisms within us. This unique angle merges science, self, and the natural world in ways previously overlooked by traditional art forms.
One prominent artist in this field is Anna Dumitriu, who won the Microbe Art Content for International Microorganisms Day in 2020. While frequently investigating the intersections of art, science, and the human microbiome, her digital installation “Human Super-Organism” explores the human body through the lens of skin microbiomes. The installation consists of an interactive screen that acts as a virtual Petri dish. When touched, it reveals the microorganisms that live on our hands and how they would grow in the lab.
Her “Human Super-Organism” provides a deeper insight into our biology and the microscopic organisms that are part of us. Our bodies are not isolated entities but complex ecosystems, helping us better understand our place in the natural world.
The “Human Super-Organism” screen by Anna Dumitriu, in collaboration with Alex May, shows growing bacterial colonies from our fingertips.
Making the invisible visible
Art can bridge the gap between the seen and the unseen, thus revealing the world of our microbiomes. Real-life performances can turn museums into labs and invite visitors to create their own personal art.
For example, Joana Ricou’s Bellybutton Portraits explore the microbial life of our bellybuttons. This artistic performance invites visitors to spread samples collected from their bellybuttons on Petri dishes. As the microbial colonies spread, they create living paintings originating from their skin.
These portraits turn abstract concepts into tangible, visual representations. The diversity of the individual artworks reveals how unique we all are, even in parts of our bodies that connect us with our mothers.

The impact on our perception of ourselves
Artworks exploring the human microbiome significantly impact our self-perception. By using the human body as a canvas, bioartists create reflections of ourselves and offer a thought-provoking perspective on the relationship between humans and their microbial companions.
The art pieces Melissa M. Monsoon’s “Microbial Me” and “Lady Mycrobiome” explore the intimate and personal nature of our microbiomes. Monsoon first created agar sculptures of her own face and intimate body parts, on which she then spread her skin microbes. The grown bacteria reveal the diverse microbial world living on our bodies causing all sorts of reactions from the audience, from fascination to disgust.
These living artworks emphasize that our skin inhabitants are an integral part of our identity. Monsoon invites viewers to question how much of “us” is actually composed of these unseen entities.

Uncovering the human microbiome artistically
Showcasing human microbiomes in art can significantly impact the way people perceive their own bodies and the microbial world around them. While some artists highlight the complex ecosystems that the Human Super-organism contains, others create microbial portraits to highlight these ecosystems in more detail. Going even one step further, some artists made it their goal to change the perception of our bodies by questioning what’s us.
Collectively, bioartists like Dumitriu, Ricou, and Monsoon challenge our notions of identity. They invite us to reconsider what it means to be human; we are not solitary entities but interconnected super-organisms.
Antonios Michas is a researcher with a background in microbiology and microbial ecology, as well as an aspiring science communicator. In his research career, he studied microbiomes from several environments, including low-nutrient forest soils, alpine grasslands, thermal springs, and asphalt oil-exposed sediments. He loves collecting knowledge on a broad range of topics and he is motivated to make an impact with his work, reaching a broad academic and non-academic audience.
About this blog section
The section #MicrobiologyInArt will present examples of microbiology in literature, cinema, comic books, songs, graphic art, modern/contemporary art, video(games), photography, dance, and others. A particular focus is on what could people learn from those examples, or how they can raise awareness on microbiology topics, issues, and potentials.