The Incubator is a sensor-activated light sculpture where a mirrored capsule becomes transparent when approached, revealing a living reishi mushroom and exploring interactions between technology, biomaterials, human presence, and living systems.
The Incubator is a sensor-activated sculptural object built around a capsule containing a two-way mirror. When inactive, the mirrored surface reflects the viewer and conceals the interior. As a person approaches, a motion sensor activates the system, causing the mirror to become transparent and revealing a living reishi mushroom growing inside the capsule.
The work stages an encounter between human presence, technological mediation, and living matter. The sensor system responds to proximity, transforming the reflective surface into a window onto the biological process unfolding within. Through this interaction, the piece explores how living organisms, biomaterials, and responsive technologies can coexist within a single sculptural system.
A project by
Sabrina Merayo Nuñez
Sabrina Merayo Nuñez is an Argentine multidisciplinary artist and material researcher based in New York. Her practice operates at the intersection of bio-art, sculpture, design, and material innovation, focusing on the relationship between living systems, biomaterials, and responsive technologies. Drawing from backgrounds in conservation, cabinetmaking, design history, and bio-art, she develops sculptural works that investigate processes of co-creation between human and non-human agents.
Central to her practice is Orifex, a proprietary biodegradable biomaterial she has been developing since 2020 using algae, collagen, natural oils, and botanical compounds. Designed to function not only symbolically but structurally, the material reflects her broader interest in ecological responsibility, material agency, and sustainable production systems. Through this research, she explores how biodegradable materials can support technological infrastructures, house living organisms, and transform over time through environmental interaction.
Her work frequently incorporates microorganisms, fungi, sensors, light, and reactive systems that respond to human presence. Rather than imposing total control over materials, Merayo Nuñez creates conditions for biological and chemical processes to unfold through heat, humidity, light, and time. Influenced by historical artisan workshops and contemporary biomaterial research, her practice examines how matter can act as an active participant within sculptural systems.
Her work has been exhibited internationally, including at Collectible Brussels, Milan Design Week, 3 Days of Design in Copenhagen, the Diriyah Biennale, and NYCxDESIGN. She is currently an artist-in-residence at the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council Arts Center on Governors Island.