Symbiosis
An interactive ecosystem where plants become co-creators of a living audiovisual experience.
Concept
What happens when a plant becomes an active participant in an interactive system?
Symbiosis creates a dialogue between the living and the digital, where plants become active participants in an evolving audiovisual environment. The installation was developed during a three-month prototyping process at SUPSI and later exhibited at Saceba and Milano Design Week 2025.
Digital Archive
To build the visual language of the installation, we first collected and curated images that matched the atmosphere we wanted to create. These references then became the starting point for a generative visual system connected to the plants. Using Replicate, sensor data was translated into different visual elements. The gyroscope influenced movement, distortion and light, while soil moisture changed the colours, textures and overall atmosphere of the generated images.
Interaction System
Behind the experience, a network of sensors, code and digital media translates the plants’ conditions into sound and imagery. Each plant is connected to an Arduino through a soil moisture sensor and gyroscope, capturing changes in its environment and movement. The data is stored in Supabase, where it becomes the link between the physical plant and its digital representation. A Raspberry Pi retrieves the live data and uses it to select and display the corresponding visuals on screen. At the same time, the sensor values are mapped into musical notes through the Web Audio API, creating an evolving soundscape that responds to the plant.
Installation Design
The physical structure brings the relationship between nature and technology into the space. Metal pipes form the framework for both the plants and screens, creating a visible connection between the organic and the digital. Custom 3D-printed joints were designed to assemble the structure, while different plants were selected for their water retention and leaf shapes. Together, the greenery, screens and industrial structure create a living environment where each element becomes part of the same evolving system.
Exhibition at Saceba - Morbio Inferiore, Switzerland
Exhibition at NAMA - Milano, Italy
Motion Archive
Starting from the digital plant archive, I generated a series of animated videos of digital plants for a personal visual art project that brings the archived stills into motion.