(2020)
H16 x W20 x D20 (in.)
Baby rubber plant (P. obtusifolia), electrodes, motorized prostheses, microcontroller, machine learning network
Digital Wild – Meta.Morf X Biennale for Art and Technology , Gråmølna Trondheim Kunstmuseum, NO
I Am a Multitude – Festival Exhibition at the Arctic Arts Festival 2021, Galleri Nord-Norge, Harstad, NO
In 2015, I started a collaboration with a houseplant from my studio. The plant, an ordinary baby rubber plant happened to sit on my desk when I asked What is life? I started simply by spending time with the houseplant. This grew a bodily connection. Through multiple experiments, we have made series of sculptures together where I have processed the sculptures on our behalf.
I discovered that we have another commonality in the biosignals going through our bodies. By amplifying the electrical signals via electrodes on my scalp and on the plant’s leaves, we could listen to each other’s vibrations. During the experiments on the plant’s electrophysiology, I wondered if the plant could be taught to move a robotic body. With the help of engineers, I built a prosthesis for the plant so that it could move with its own biosignals. The signals to the plant are interpreted by a machine learning network which then moves the motors in the feet of the plant. It was a great help for the collaboration that the plant was able to move in my time-space.
