UN/BIASED - Map 2

Bacteria on wage equality (utopia)

On a glass table, a cluster of petri dished traces the outline of Portugal. The type of nutrients in the medium the bacteria are growing on (the jelly-like substance obtained from algae called Agar), depicts data relating to the inequality between gender and relative income in Portugal. As the bacteria grow, blue and red circles form on the plates to create a visual graph of the gap in earnings. After about a week the cultures are at their most vivid, but then, as the bacteria continue to feed, “processing” the data, the entire piece turns a uniform shade of purple. Regional inequalities are equalled out and balance magically restored.

Data: Office for Strategy and Studies / Ministry of Economy (2013)