Sonja Bäumel

Sonja Bäumel's latest work, (In)Visible Membrane, is composed of a series of works in various mediums that emphasize the -often overlooked- second skin of the human body: our unseen, yet omnipresent membrane of bacteria. Bäumel looks to fuse these most organic and crude aspects of our bodies to the third, manufactured skin of clothing- clothing as a way to emphasize these microscopic biomes rather than a way of covering them up or 'blocking' them out.

Her video installation, (In)Visible, presents the various layers of skin as potential fashion options; diverging in color, texture, and pattern.


Crocheted Membrane defines the structure of bacteria as it would reside on the skin.

In Bacteria Mapping, Bäumel identified areas of her body from which she took bacterial samples, and allowed them to grow, producing a bacterial silhouette in Oversized Petri Dish.

Finally, she studied the effects of bacterial growth on fiber, especially as it relates to clothing.