Fidelity of the Unnamable 2025
Alan Bulfin is the artist that made the artwork, which is a pair of shoes growing from a new kind of letter, could Scoby letter. Scoby is a material grown in Kombucha tea. The artist is ranked as one of the world's top artists alive in the world today on the website Artefacts. The art work is currently on display at Rauma Triennale 2025 entitled Enchanting Effort. Considering the artist's exhibition history and the history of artists' shoes in art history, this work has scope and appeal beyond the materials its been growing from. Catalogue info Alan Bulfin Fidelity of the Unnamable is a process-based installation that takes the form of a bioart shoe laboratory. On display are shoes made from scoby—grown in kombucha—and various elements and materials from the making process. The installation invites reflection on how we consume the world and how, in turn, the world consumes us. It asks what it means to practice care and commitment through everyday actions. The project explores the idea of fidelity—a sustained, embodied effort to live in relationship with others and the material world. For the artist, this means growing shoes at home, a long-term process of experimentation and care. Each pair becomes a gesture of dedication: to life, to the act of making, and to the possibility of using what we grow. The title refers to the decision not to name every effort or outcome. Inspired in part by Samuel Beckett’s The Unnamable, the work embraces process over definition, and practice over perfection. Alan Bulfin makes shoes from scoby, a material grown in kombucha tea. The work is like a shoe laboratory that explores everyday actions, and sustainable choices. Each pair of shoes is a sign of dedication and long-term effort. Easy-to-read summary: Kombucha scoby, oil paint base, rubber and glue Fidelity of the Unnamable (2025) Alan Bulfin (b. 1986, IE) works with process-based art in the public realm. His practice centres small ecological footprint, biodegradable materials and actions that are welcoming in their hospitality for all. Telling stories about home, homeliness and hopefulness, Bulfin envisions a public space that is sustained by generosity. He holds an MA in Public Art from Ulster University, Belfast.
34cm by 20cm
Other
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Hello, this item is a conceptual bio-art sculpture titled Fidelity of the Unnamable (2025) by Irish artist Alan Bulfin. The work consists of a pair of handcrafted shoes made from Scoby (Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast), a cellulose material cultivated through kombucha fermentation. The piece is part of an ongoing research-led art practice focused on sustainability, home-making, and long-term commitment. The artist positions the shoes not merely as objects but as artifacts of care and fidelity, with references to literary figures such as Samuel Beckett and a critique of consumerist values. This work was exhibited at Rauma Triennale 2025 in the show Enchanting Effort, reinforcing its importance within the context of contemporary ecological and participatory art.
Alan Bulfin (b. 1986) is an established figure in process-based public art, with a practice that foregrounds ecological ethics, biodegradable materials, and communal care. The use of bio-cultures in sculptural form places this piece within the realm of emerging bio-art—a growing segment in the contemporary art market, particularly in academic and institutional collections. As a unique, site-exhibited, and materially innovative work by an artist with international exposure, its market value is more academic or institutional than commercial. However, for valuation purposes, considering its exhibition history, material uniqueness, and artist profile, the estimated fair market value of this work would be in the range of $4,000 to $6,000 USD, particularly if acquired by museums, biennials, or eco-art collections.
