PLANT SYMPHONY
a composition created through capacitance
Inspiration
by Christa Sommerer and Laurent Mignonneau (1992)
The installation features a 3D arrangement comprising five pots with live plants. Upon contact with a plant's leaf or any part thereof, or when an individual passes by, a projection on the wall instantly displays the real-time growth of multiple virtual plants. Sommerer and Mignonneau utilized multiple sensors on the plants' roots, which assess the electrostatic potential of the root compared to that of the viewer. This assessment generates a voltage difference that activates the computer to project virtual plants on a screen. The viewer's proximity to the plant directly influences the quantity, position, rotation, and size of the virtual plants, which ranges from zero to seventy centimeters.
Our installation was inspired by the Interactive Plant Growing concept and features plants placed on pedestals in a dark room to create an ethereal and mysterious atmosphere. The plants serve as the primary focus of the setup, with one spike round cactus resembling the plant in Interactive Plant Growing and acting as a reference to the original installation. A notable deviation between our installation and the referenced work is that visitors produce sound instead of video projections when interacting with our plants. Our aim is to remove any visual component to the environment that would distract the participant away from the plant and sound focal point.
by Joe Patitucci and Alex Tyson (2020)
The PlantWave is a device that utilizes patented sonification technology to convert the biorhythms of plants into music. The device comprises a sensor that detects changes in electrical conductivity and transmits these signals to a separate device, which graphs the values as a wave. The device can then translate this wave into pitch messages that determine the notes played on musical instruments and produce music. Initially, we intended for use the device in our own installation. Later, we decided to modify the concept to increase interactivity and reduce costs by using Arduino instead of purchasing the high-priced PlantWave.
Our installation differs in that our focus is not on the sound of an individual plant. Our aim is to have plants be a symbolic representations of nature and the technology is how we are actualizing the human-plant interaction.
by Scenocosme (2007)
Akousmaflore is a fascinating interactive garden that utilizes living plants to create intricate sound compositions in response to human presence, touch, and gesture. Scenocosme, the artists behind this innovative project, transform the plants into sensors by attaching wires near their roots in the soil, thereby enhancing their sensory abilities. This technology enables plants and humans to become biological interfaces, leading to a wide range of delicate interactions based on touch and proximity. Each plant has its unique voice and interactive behaviour, carefully selected based on its leaf texture and shape. Scenocosme designs these interactive garden installations by utilizing the plants as sensing capacitive technology and interface, providing an exceptional tactile and sensory experience.
In contrast, our installation diverges from Akousmaflore in that the original artwork emphasizes the natural qualities and distinctiveness of each plant by giving it a unique "voice" activated by human touch. Instead, we are creating an uninterrupted soundscape where the sound is not unique to the plant, but unique to the human's capacitance, placing greater emphasis on human influence on nature rather than on nature itself.
