End of Photodotes III Exhibition!

Photodotes III: Plug-n-Plant, opening night at Industry Lab. Photo credits: Steven Hien

Photodotes III: Plug-n-Plant is an installation/ exhibition examining the relationship between architecture, technology, light, and plants. Plug-n-Plant is a modular structural system whose blocks are hybrids of water, light, and potential food volumes. The immaterial ingredients are enclosed in transparent plastic containers, and interconnected via fiberoptic cables. The whole system acts both as a spatial element that brings natural light in dark spaces, and also as a living or edible structure. Plug-n-Plant seeks to redefine the nature – tectonic relationship where one does not erase the other but they simply co-exist and co-evolve. The exhibition took place at Industry Lab between May 31-August 31, 2013.

photodotes 3 progress: July 24

Photodotes: Plug-n-Plant July 24th. Photo credits: Sam Altieri

Photodotes: Plug-n-Plant July 24th. Photo credits: Sam Altieri 

Photodotes: Plug-n-Plant July 24th. Photo credits: Sam Altieri 

Photodotes: Plug-n-Plant July 24th. Photo credits: Sam Altieri

Photodotes: Plug-n-Plant July 24th. Photo credits: Sam Altieri

Photodotes: Plug-n-Plant July 24th. Photo credits: Sam Altieri

Photodotes: Plug-n-Plant [Bamboos]

Photodotes III: Plug-n-Plant is an installation/ exhibition examining the relationship between architecture, technology, light, and plants. Plug-n-Plant is a modular structural system whose blocks are hybrids of water, light, and potential food volumes. The immaterial ingredients are enclosed in transparent plastic containers, and interconnected via fiberoptic cables. The whole system acts both as a spatial element that brings natural light in dark spaces, and also as a living or edible structure. Plug-n-Plant seeks to redefine the nature–tectonic relationship where one does not erase the other but they simply co-exist and co-evolve. 

photodotes opening time-lapse by Sam Altieri

photodotes iii from sam altieri on Vimeo.

arabidopsis

For Photodotes III: Plug-n-Plant, Kristophe Diaz, plant scientist and biologist proposed to use Arabidopsis Thaliana. Kristophe has been working with this plant for many years at The Plant Lab in UMass. Studio Z visited the lab and documented the stages of Arabidopsis plant growth. 

Image credits: Joe Belcovson/ Salk Institute for Biological Studies (Source: Newswise)

Arabidopsis is a beautiful plant and a well known model system is science. Like in the case of the mouse, arabidopsis is used by the scientists for knowledge. Joe Kunkel, from UMass writes about what a model system is in biology:  

"We are unlikely to ever know everything about every organism. Therefore, we should agree on some convenient organism(s) to study in great depth, so that we can use the experience of the past (in that organism) to build on in the future. This will lead to a body of knowledge in that 'model system' that allows us to design appropriate studies of non-model systems to answer important questions about their biology."

According to Kunkel criteria to classify something as a model system may be the small size, low expenses for operation, short life cycle, use as genetic manipulable, audience's interest, and so on. Although NSF does not consider arabidopsis as an economically important plant, it has approved it as a model plant: 

"As a photosynthetic organism, Arabidopsis requires only light, air, water and a few minerals to complete its life cycle. It has a fast life cycle, produces numerous self progeny, has very limited space requirements, and is easily grown in a greenhouse or indoor growth chamber. It possesses a relatively small, genetically tractable genome that can be manipulated through genetic engineering more easily and rapidly than any other plant genome...With the knowledge we gain from the model plant thus established as a reference system, we can move forward with research and rapidly initiate improvements in plants of economic and cultural importance."

Number of Times Arabidopsis is mentioned in Science. Graph via Kristophe Diaz

 

Arabidopsis is a member of the mustard (Brassicaceae) family, which includes cultivated species such as cabbage and radish. From Wikipedia: 

"Brassicaceae, a medium-sized and economically important family of flowering plants (Angiosperms), are informally known as the mustards, mustard flowers, the crucifers or the cabbage family. The name Brassicaceae is derived from the included genus Brassica. Cruciferae, an older name, meaning "cross-bearing", describes the four petals of mustard flowers, which are reminiscent of a cross."

The etymology of the word arabidopsis is Greek and linked to opsis/ όψη, meaning form/ morph, and the Arabis (New Latin, from Greek arabis (fem) of Arabia) genus in which Linnaeus had initially placed it.The Arabis genus plants were initially found in Arabia. The meaning and origin of the word Arab (first found in the Greek literature) is quite an interesting exploration itself, although it is not certain if this origin is linked (at all) to the characteristics of these plants. One of the meanings has to do with nomad/ nomadism.  If one accepts that a nomad is usually a flexible creature, then one expects these plants to have strong adaptability. Could this potential adaptive character of the plant may be what makes Arabidopsis to qualify as a model system? 

When referred to these plants and their growth under different conditions, Diaz, often mentions the word "stress" which is an interesting concept to think in relation to plants. David Robert from MIT Media Lab has referred to plants' intelligence and their feelings in many of his presentations and art-works like the recent Anthopodecentric Net Study, performed/ presented at the rooftop of the MIT Cecil and Ida Green Building/ Building 54 designed by I.M.Pei. Robert referred to that overlap or gray zone between art and science where issues related to plants and their feelings/ intelligence are not very clear. To further highlight this significance, he projected his presentation on the spherical radome (communication radar instrument) of the iconic building. He referred to Arabidopsis and also discussed issues like the metaphysical Object- Oriented Ontology (OOO) movement, plants' rights, and other topics that support his non-human-centered theory.

Maria Cecilia Aguilar Holt, a historian of Christianity, and also PhD candidate from Harvard Divinity School, from Philippines, revealed the humble aspect of the plants, based on her knowledge on the symbolism found in the Mustard Seeds parable. From Wikipedia one can find the parable as it appears in the Gospel of Matthew:

He set another parable before them, saying, "The Kingdom of Heaven is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field; which indeed is smaller than all seeds. But when it is grown, it is greater than the herbs, and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in its branches."

Matthew 13:31–32, World English Bible

Beyond the humble yet powerful nature of the mustard seeds, when discussing Photodotes III, Aguilar Holt also mentioned issues of vulnerability, life, and death, and empathy. Indeed, Photodotes III is living wall, where organic plants co-exist with the architectural structure. The plants are there to document the presence of the ever-changing natural light through their growth and evolution and to also provide edible nature to residents. Mustard night explored a series of culinary creations through recipes based on mustard seeds and mustard that promote a healthy and tasteful living.

Arabidopsis Life-Cycle by Kristophe Diaz

Note: 
Many of the ideas presented in this text derived through discussions together with Kristophe Diaz.

References: 

Kristophe Diaz: http://www.kristophediaz.com/

National Institutes of Health (NIH):  http://www.nih.gov/science/models/arabidopsis/index.html

National Science Foundation (NSF): http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2002/bio0202/model.htm

Elliot Meyerowitz: http://www.its.caltech.edu/~plantlab/research.html

Wikipedia: Arabidopsis, Arabidopsis Thaliana, Brassicaceae, Arabis

UMass: http://www.bio.umass.edu/biology/kunkel/modelsys.html

Maarten Koorneef, and Ben Scheres, Arabidopsis Thaliana as an Experiemental Organism

photodotes 3 progress: July 8 off-white substance

photodotes 3 progress: July 8

Photodotes III through analogue photogaphy

On May 2013, Photodotes III: Plug-n-Plant was presented at the Industry Lab Gallery. The work celebrates the inauguration of Zitofos research on spatial light that started 2 years ago on May 2011, right after obtaining my doctoral degree from Harvard GSD: A symbolic beginning! This ongoing research is being documented in its different stages since August 2011. It has been presented and published in various venues, like the MIT Museum, MIT Energy Night, The Garden Lab exhibition at MassArt, Ecology & Design 5th Atmos(phere) Symposium in Canada, and in the recent ACSA 101: New constellations/ New Ecologies conference in San Francisco in March 2013. For this celebratory post Zitofos selected a series of rare, analogue photos that were taken during the opening. 

Photodotes III: Plug-n-Plant. Photo credits: Samantha Altieri

Photodotes III: Plug-n-Plant. Photo credits: Samantha Altieri

Photodotes III: Plug-n-Plant. Photo credits: Samantha Altieri

Photodotes III: Plug-n-Plant. Photo credits: Samantha Altieri

In case you are interested to have Samantha Altieri's analogue photographs, please contact: saltieri913 [at] gmail [dot] com. For more info on Photodotes/ Zitofos, contact: zenovia [at] gmail [dot] com. 

planting & plugging

Planting Arabidopsis/ Kristophe Diaz by Zenovia Toloudi

Plugging the block into Photodotes transparent wall/  Zenovia Toloudi by Kristophe Diaz

photodotes music

Reuben Son's performance during Photodotes III opening event, Photo credits: Steven Hien

Reuben Son's performance during Photodotes III opening event, Photo credits: Steven Hien

Reuben Son is known as a multi-instrumentalist whose live performances and studio work often include utilization of guitars, tape machines, and modular synthesizer. His 'breaking guitar' pieces have focused on the fragmentation of linearity in performance-time with exploration of  opportunities for manual intervention within the context of electroacoustic music. His new in-progress work moves away from the very hands-on guitar pieces, and focuses on a relatively hands-off system, involving generative digital structures articulated by traditional analogue synthesis methods. Inspired by Photodotes III interplay with organic materials, plants, light, and space, Reuben Son, created and experimental soundtrack that was premiered during the opening reception of the exhibition at Industry Lab (Cambridge, MA) on May 31, 2013:
 

https://soundcloud.com/reubenson/music-for-photodotes-iii
According to Reuben Son: 

"...a pair of algorithmic patches written for and executed on an Arduino microcontroller interfaced with a mostly analogue modular synthesizer...All sounds were synthesized processed in real-time using traditional analogue synthesis methods, with the notable exception of the use of a brief sample from David Behrman's "Leapday Night - Scene 2", which kicks off and anchors the second half of this recording..."

The algorithmic generation of musical parameters and control structures (articulated by a compact analogue synthesis system allow for a minimum or with some gradient of human interaction. The piece's life-cycle is inter-determinate and gives the opportunity to Reuben Son to make "relatively infrequent and subtle changes to the music's progression in an improvised fashion." 

Reuben Son's performance was his first Boston set in exactly nine months. It was instigated by Yurij Roman Lojko, Senior UI Developer at Genuine Interactive,  Webmaster at Green City Growers, and also Radio Host & Sub Director at WMBR, Cambridge.

photodotes III event

photo by Sinead Gullivan

shrinking beads

light & beads

water beads

Photo credits: Kristophe Diaz

Photo credits: Kristophe Diaz

Photo credits: Kristophe Diaz

photodotes @ MIT Museum

Photodotes poster

Abstract:
Limited natural light in working/living indoor spaces of dense urban environments often causes mental and health disorders such as decreased productivity, depression, women’s cycle patterns irregularities. This research develops a series of architectural devices called Photodotes (=light donors) that transmit natural light energy from outdoor spaces to under-light indoor spaces through fiberoptic cables. This poster presents an experiment that used Photodotes to grow plants in water containers in a dark gallery at MassArt, Boston during Winter 2012. Through collecting, transferring, and emitting natural light, Photodotes helped plants to absorb energy in order to develop. Plants were used both as a model system for living organisms, but also for their potential function to become food energy sources themselves. Through this chain, Photodotes become a greenhouse environment that offers light energy in dark places, proposing a new type of sustainable architecture.  Photos in the poster by: Dominic Tschoepe

photodotes may-day

photodotes may-day from Zenovia Toloudi on Vimeo.

ever-changing light recording

Photodotes: Light Garden

Can structure and landscape occupy equally space? Is the border between them blurred? Junya Ishigami has addressed these questions through a series of installations. Many other architects have also discussed similar issues regarding the famous "nature-structure couple" theoretically and in-practice. At the same time, schools like Harvard Graduate School of Design, have lately emphasized landscape design in their curriculum to a point where architecture and structures disappear to give their place to landscape, geography, earth and food.

In the same context, The Garden Lab at MassArt is an experimental project, a garden space and platform, where all students and the community-at-large can engage in an open conversation about art, design, food, community, and the environment. Under this umbrella, it hosted yesterday (March 14th) Photodotes (Light Donors) workshop as an opportunity to rethink living (and perhaps edible) structures, materials and the immaterial, light as energy, and the use of technology in architecture and gardens. The target of the intense, hands-on workshop was the collaborative construction of a hybrid structure/ 3d-garden that would consist of plants, fiberoptics, plastic containers, water and light.
Figure 01. Plants mixed with fiberoptics. Photo credits: Dominic Tschoepe

Figure 02. Photodotes: Light Garden at the end of the workshop. Photo credits: Dominic Tschoepe
The enthusiastic and extra-creative participants initially created and presented their personal sub-structures by sculpting the containers each one with different criteria or manifestos: to allow growth towards different directions, to follow the form and the intentions of the plant, to help the plant co-exist with other plants, to "force" symmetrical development, to create vertical planting, to change the functions were few of the ideas. Could these sculptures become new "bricks" towards the creation of a living (and perhaps edible) structure?

Figure 03. Rethinking materiality or possible new "brick"? Plastic containers (reused), water, roots, fiberoptics, light. Photo credits: Dominic Tschoepe

The hybrid structure, with the potential name  "Light garden,"  has the special feature of bringing light in the roots via fiberoptics. This idea has emerged and developed during Zitofos (meaning Light Lives among many other things), a workshop that took place in Alexandroupolis, Greece during last summer in collaboration with MIT Art, Culture and Technology. Zitofos workshop has been the instigator of a research on spatial light that has been documented in the Zitofos platform. Part of the experimentation has been expressed in Photodotes I currently on show at Brant Gallery until May 7th.


Figure 04. Experiment to hypothesize how fiberoptics inserted in the water affect growth. Photo credits: Dominic Tschoepe

Figure 05. Refunctioning ingredients towards the making of a living wall. Photo credits: Dominic Tschoepe

Figure 06. Light inserted in the water via the fiberoptic cables in order to help the growth of the plant.  Photo credits: Dominic Tschoepe

Figure 07. Participants scuptured the recycling containers in a unique way to allow plants to develop in multiple directions, to co-evolve, and to grow better. Photo credits: Dominic Tschoepe

Figure 08. Vertical growth of different plants. Photo credits: Dominic Tschoepe

Figure 09. Each plant is linked to at least one optic fiber that emits light at its end. Photo credits: Dominic Tschoepe
The second part of the workshop included the collaborative assembly of the individual garden clusters towards the creation of one "circular" garden-space. The collaborative character of the installation registered individual craftsmanship and signature expression of each author.

Figure 10. The "circular" garden-space or a possible living structure.  Photo credits: Dominic Tschoepe

Figure 11. The happy result. Photo credits: Dominic Tschoepe


More info:
Zitofos platform on spatial light.

Project Credits: 
Idea and project instigator: Zenovia Toloudi
Research: Zenovia Toloudi, George Toloudis, Ute Meta Bauer (MIT Art, Culture and Technology)
Photography: Dominic Tschoepe, Dimitris Papanikolaou, Zenovia Toloudi
Light Garden Collaborators: Dominic Tschoepe, Amir Banihashem, Dimitris Papanikolaou
Exhibition Curators: Evelyn Rydz, Jonathan Santos
Workshop assistants: Yamilah Kenny, Christian Keebler Restrepo
Participants: Lydia See, Brianna Dawes, Juliet Demasi, Colin Cardinal, Anika Catterfield, Georgia Kennedy, Julie Chen, Hayden Lemire

Note: This article was initially published at SHIFTboston, with the exception of Figure 11