The Bacteria Babies: Sip & See exhibition presents a catalogue of bio-material, the result of an experimental research and art project by Katja Banović and Xavier Madden. The project's focus lies at the intersection of decentralized and communal production of the bio-material bacterial cellulose and experimentation with its material properties. Throughout 2023, the authors collaborated with over 60 participants in Pula (HR) and Vienna (AT) with the aim of pushing the material’s growing conditions to their limits. The initial goal was to pose two questions: Firstly, can bacteria cellulose become localized through the use of ingredients for the starting culture? Secondly, can it grow in urban and dynamic spaces such as offices, clubs, or galleries, and if so, to what extent? While these questions were answered, other questions arose regarding the communities' interest, fear, and knowledge, further shaping the project's trajectory. What initially seemed like a simple task began unravelling as complex and intricate layers of interdependencies.

Sip and See parties are traditionally conceived as an opportunity for invitees to meet new-born babies, so the exhibition plays with this tradition to introduce the new-born bacterial cellulose to the audience. LED lamps allow visitors to closely inspect the differences and similarities of each "baby", while a digital archive reveals the individual cities (Pula and Vienna) as decentralized factories, emphasizing the grassroots participation of the community.