Healthy lungs and breathing healthy air have been trending topics lately. And, this group of South Korean artists designed a concept that brings breathing to the next level.
Their design, named The Super Lung, is a metal lung concept that uses algae to transform CO2 into O2. It’s designed by Bongkyu Song of BKID together with Moon and Jeon and it’s inspired by the efficient respiratory system that birds have.
New Design of Lungs Based on the Respiratory System of Birds
Birds have lungs; however, they don’t expand and contract like the lungs of mammals. They have several air sacs throughout the body which serve as ventilation for the lungs. On a similar note, The Super Lung uses algae to achieve this one-way flow.
The algae use anterior air sacs and the scientists compare this process to the air flowing through a radiator grill in combustion engines. This reduces the need for exhalation that they emphasize to be the major reason for infection.
The team notes that their concept boosts the efficiency of the respiratory system in mammals by 300 percent. The Super Lung was designed for the exhibition News from Nowhere: Freedom Village by Moon and Jeon.
It’s still running until February 20, 2022, at the National Museum of Modern & Contemporary Art, Korea. The Freedom Village is a continuation of the News from Nowhere project that asks pivotal questions about art’s role in a world that’s changing fast and in the crisis that humanity is facing.
By dealing with the pandemic and the new ways we’re adjusting to, the artists are exploring how humans tackle tragedy. This exhibition also features an interactive video installation that was inspired by the classic utopian novel News from Nowhere by William Morris.
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