One Potato: A Cabinet for Unexpected Life documents the unplanned arrival of various organisms in the basement lab during Svenja Kratz’s 2013 residency at The Edge, a digital cultural center at the State Library of Queensland. This furniture installation combines glass, light, video, algae, and fruit fly cultures to capture the artist's experimentation with plant culture techniques and the surprising outcomes from these processes.

Initially focused on cloning a sweet potato plant and experimenting with African Violet micro-propagation, the project shifted after a fungal infection from nearby kombucha cultures spread to the plant cultures, leading to their disposal. This contamination, along with the attraction of fruit flies, algae, and spider mites, sparked new experiments, celebrating the creative potential of unexpected encounters and connections.

Accompanied by plant-based paintings, algae-based works on paper, and photomedia slides, the installation reflects the joy of discovery and highlights the unpredictable interactions between living organisms in shared spaces.