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17-25 October 2026

Written in Decay: Traces of Entanglement

A book made from bacteria-derived bioplastic, returned to the soil to be rewritten by microorganisms, decay and time.

Hosted by Shijia Huang

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Entrance fee

Free access

Event type

Exhibition

Accessibility

Toilets available

Opening hours

11:00
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18:00
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18:00
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18:00
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Written in Decay
Written in Decay
Shijia Huang
What happens after billions of bacteria die? Written in Decay explores the invisible relationships between life, matter and microorganisms, following their entanglements through processes of making, decay and transformation.

From Life to Material

The material begins with billions of bacteria. Through industrial processing, their biological by-products are transformed into a biodegradable bioplastic, turning a living process into a material for human use. We often encounter biomaterials through questions of performance, sustainability and degradation, while the lives behind them remain invisible. What happens when life becomes material? Where does life go?

Written in Decay

This book is made from Vivomer, a bacteria-derived bioplastic developed by Shellworks. Its pages are placed in soils collected from different environments across London and exposed to microorganisms, moisture and time. Each mark left behind by decay, by invisible organisms, by time, becomes a form of inscription, a form of becoming.

After Life

Perhaps life never truly ends. Perhaps it simply shifts between forms. And perhaps language, too, has never belonged only to us.

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Written in Decay
Written in Decay
Shijia Huang
Traces of microbial growth and decay
Traces of microbial growth and decay
Shijia Huang
Traces of microbial growth and decay
Traces of microbial growth and decay
Shijia Huang
Written in Decay
Written in Decay
Shijia Huang

About Shijia Huang

Shijia Huang is an artist and biodesigner based in London. Her practice centres on microorganisms, biomaterials and ecological systems, exploring relationships between human and non-human life and the invisible entanglements that connect them. Through installation, experimental making and artistic research, she approaches life as a continuous exchange, where humans, microbes, materials and environments shape one another across visible and invisible scales.