Micro Orchestrism: Musical co-creation of human and sake yeast to interrogate creative hierarchy

With more-than-human perspectives in design gaining attention among HCI researchers, a growing body of work attends to the hidden labor of nonhumans. Building on Chen et al.’s work that surfaces nonhuman labor, we interrogate the traditional hierarchy of creative expression by positioning fermenting sake yeast as creative collaborators rather than compliant materials. Instead of laboratory settings that presume human control, we relocate inquiry to the out-of-lab―craft of sake brewing, integrated here within an audiovisual installation called Micro Orchestrism. Based on interviews with four Japanese brewers from distinct breweries, we report statements by brewers that frame microbes as active contributors of taste creation and recognize microbial behavior does not always conform to human intent. Through the installation, we aim to provide a situated entry point for reflecting on microbial agency in a craft practice.