Indoor plants and pig food
Gallery Stampa Basel, 2005

In 1828 – in the middle of the Romanticism – an organic substance was produced synthetically for the first time, urea. From then on the people believed it would be possible to produce life artificially – Homunculus. This substance is now produced industrially in huge quantities, and it is used in the shape of pearls predominantly as fertilizer. It is also an additive in fodder, cosmetics products and adhesives. Urea is the end product of a protein metabolism. It forms in the liver and is transported via the blood into the kidneys and discarded via the urine. Our body produces about 20 grams per day (this can be even more in an ambitious individual). Urea occurs in many plants, especially in mushrooms. If dissolved in water it turns cold. The solution is slimy and tastes bitter.

Gerda Steiner i Jorg Lenzlinger