Plant Symphony is an interactive sound installation that explores the influence human beings have on the natural world. 

 

Through sound, the installation maps the unseen affect of our own stored electrical charge, our capacitance, on the environment around us. We aim to draw awareness that even our proximity to living objects, like plants, can have an measurable influence. Our conductivity, although not harmful, serves to demonstrate that we are connected to the world around us in ways that are invisible to the eye. Each person has their own unique electrical charge and each plant offers their own level of conductivity. The intersection of this human-plant interaction is captured through an ethereal sound scape.

 

A euphoric sound scape was created to capture our sense of wonder and pleasure we associate from spending time in nature.  Sound is used to indicate an increased exchange and influence from human touch.  As participants enter the installation space, a deep and low sound can be heard echoing within the empty room. This base note symbolized that the plants, which are acting like antennas to detect a change in capacitance, are active and are registering the electrical charge in the room as it comes into contact with the plant surfaces. As a human approached the plant, the notes increase in octave to represent the increasing change in electrical charge during the human-plant interaction. 

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The cactus on display serves as a reminder that the natural world is not solely for our use and enjoyment. The cactus, if approached, will sound a displeasing note to warn the participant that it does not want to be touched. The sound activated through this plant-human interaction is jarring in contrast to the other sounds created. It is to remind us that nature has boundaries. The tactile characteristics of this plant is sharp and could be mildly painful which is in contrast to the other plants on display. 

 

Plant Symphony utilizes the interaction strategy known as "Interaction through body interfaces" outlined by Dieter Daniels. This strategy involves using touch as the medium for interaction. Through the conductivity of human skin, Plant Symphony create a musical composition to fill the space with a subtly changing soundscape to instill awe and caution with the natural world. 

 

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