Biology/Design, Art/Science, Tech/Society
Grow x Pop-Up Magazine
Pop-Up Magazine takes stories and brings them to the stage, with animated illustration, original score, and performance. Each multi-media element is timed with a live reading, chosen intentionally to emphasize the emotions of a moment and allowing for moments that aren’t rehearsed. The collaboration between Grow and Pop-Up felt like it just made sense. We’ve spent the last 4 years in our magazine trying to change the way stories are told in biology, and Pop-Up has spent the last decade changing the way stories are experienced in every format possible. How could we take some of our most beloved stories in Grow and the important concepts they convey, and create an experience that would compel people to listen and understand?
We chose four stories for the show across a spread of Grow’s print issues, spanning from lab-grown seafood to what plants can teach us about equity. The show debuted as the last hour of Ginkgo Ferment in Boston, an annual conference celebrating the synthetic biology ecosystem. For the last story, the audience was asked to open an envelope containing the fragrance described in the text, which wafted through the space as the writer spoke.
There are no words to describe what it meant to be able to concept and creative direct the project alongside the brilliant team at Pop-Up, Grow, and Ferment, as well as to introduce the show on stage—truly a dream come true.
Creative Direction
Content Production
Project Management
Collaborators
Pop-Up Magazine Productions
Derek Fagerstrom
Chas Edwards
Michelle Fernandez
Douglas McGray
Alyssa Chavez-Upp
Alex Palma
Ginkgo Co-Producer
Quinn Berkman
Grow Editorial
Leon Dische Becker
Alexa Garcia
Nina Garcia
Performers
Nadia Berenstein
Claire L. Evans
Sudeep Agarwala
Alexa Garcia
Illustrators
Franziska Barczyk
Alexandra Bowman
Angelica Alzona
Jenny Mascia
Composer
Alexander Overington
Pop-Up Magazine Productions
Derek Fagerstrom
Chas Edwards
Michelle Fernandez
Douglas McGray
Alyssa Chavez-Upp
Alex Palma
Ginkgo Co-Producer
Quinn Berkman
Grow Editorial
Leon Dische Becker
Alexa Garcia
Nina Garcia
Performers
Nadia Berenstein
Claire L. Evans
Sudeep Agarwala
Alexa Garcia
Illustrators
Franziska Barczyk
Alexandra Bowman
Angelica Alzona
Jenny Mascia
Composer
Alexander Overington