Biodata Sonification at the Philly Flower Show (Moog Sub Phatty reading signals off of a Rhododendron) from synthesizers

 This musical piece is performed by the resident plants of the Wildflower Botanical garden, using sensors to track the changing biological states of the plants over <35> days through the Winter Solstice (November 25th – December 31st).    On these shortest days of the year, the Sun stays lethargic all day on the horizon, for hours appearing to stand still.  This Biodata Sonification installation will utilize orchestral instrumentation to create an interactive soundscape distributed through the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, allowing guests to listen to the invisible biological changes occurring within plants.  Find out more about how this system functions at electricityforprogress.com/biodata-sonification/

Biodata Sonification is the process of extracting real time biological information from living plants and translating that complex information into sounds which a guest can perceive. This installation creates a series of ‘Biodata Sonification Nodes’ which will be connected to the leaves of a plant using sticky (non damaging) electrodes and each plant will perform one instrumental part of a larger musical piece.

As multiple plants are connected to these ‘Nodes’ a larger musical piece will begin to unravel, telling the story of each plant’s day in the garden, providing guests with a variety of plants and instrumentations to focus on. While the raw presentation of data from the plants may not necessarily sound like ‘music’, the biodata can be partnered with the sounds of specific instruments and filtered to play in specific keys and note ranges chosen by a composer.

During this incredibly challenging pandemic the public has been pushed far from art in exhibition and installation. But this distance can and should be overcome. By utilizing our existing technology infrastructure and providing guests with safe remote options for viewing and interacting with installation artwork, we can break through the physical isolation and help guests find connectedness, curiosity, and wonder. It is critical at this time to provide the public with engrossing, interactive works of art, and provide them with solace utilizing the revitalizing natural splendor of living plants in botanical gardens.

Components

1. Biodata Sonification Nodes will connect to four selected plants. The nodes will contain a Biodata Sonification device and a MIDI sound synthesizer. Speakers connected to each node will present the sounds.
2. Using RTP MIDI connectivity, each biodata sonification unit can be interconnected using Wifi, streaming the MIDI data to local and remote users. This feature would require a local (or mobile) wifi network with internet access.
3. A Placard by each plant describing the biodata sonification process with link to the eforp biodata page

Goals and Objectives:

• Provide a detailed study of the changing biological processes through real time data feeds and durable recording of the installation
• Provide an immersive and interactive experience for guests both in person in the garden (and remotely through an interactive content site on the internet)

Risks

• No internet access – this will limit the usage of wifi MIDI for remote user interaction and archival purposes.
• Pandemic considerations may likely allow no visitors into the garden space