Fern Orchestra / Vespa Laine: Fern Orchestra: DJ Plantastic – Plant Series XII
Ficus is having a DJ gig! A plant artist who plays drums and holds a light show.
Dj Plantastic is a tireless DJ whose show goes on and on! Sensors attached to Fern Orchestra's artist plant measure the plant's internal happenings and the results are translated into sound and light. The plant itself controls a moving spotlight and plays drums. What kind of show does it put on and does it just light itself up? Does the plant have a favourite colour? Does it prefer gobos over prisms?
In Fern Orchestra's works, photosynthetic organisms are active operators. DJ Plantastic is the 12th work in the Plant Series, in which a photosynthetic plant bangs its drums as it pleases and creates sudden and surprising movement panoramas and colour combinations with a moving spotlight. In this work we have been looking for empathy and equality between species by exposing ourselves to “plantzation”. We imagine those invisible worlds the plants hold inside and reach beyond the canyon of otherness between humans and plants.
Lighting designer, b. 1977, lives in Parainen, Finland
Information
Artwork finished in:
2023
Light sources, materials, and equipment:
Moving Head (e.g. JBL P9 Spot), Subwoofer (e.g. Renkus-Heinz SG12S-2), Drum Machine, Loud Speakers x 2 (e.g. Genelec G3), sensors and a plant.
Dimensions of the work, approximately (width-height-depth):
Appr. 1,5 m x 2 m x 1 m. Work can be adjusted.
Electricity consumption:
Standard mains current (10A/16A).
Does the artwork use sound?
Loud sound.
Support and other structures:
The work needs support structures, hanging points, or similar.
Structures, hardware, or other equipment needed from the client:
Work can be hanging or it can be displayed on a pedestal. Hanging point needed or pedestal.
Minimum height of the space:
2,5 m
Minimum square meters of the space:
9 m2
Requirements for the space: darkness, temperature, colouring (light / dark / specific colour / other) etc.:
Room temperature or if hotter, we can choose plant that survives better in the heat. Light or dark colour, anything goes. Not totally dark, since the plant needs light at least some hours a day. If totally dark, then lights for plant have to be provided.
Building time and people required (estimate):
4 h, 2 people.
Artist's presence:
Guidance can be provided for building.
Seen before at:
Boisterous Light, Hyvinkää, 2023
