(Bio)power grid (2021) – In-situ immersive environment
(Bio)power grid is an installation inspired by phototaxis, the movement of an organism in response to light. Though “natural”, this behaviour becomes problematic for some living beings due to the increasing light pollution brought by human activity, disturbing their instinctive demeanour. The work addresses the vulnerability of nature in front of our massive human impact on the world.
In this work, robotic moths “fly” in a space and are triggered by light. The elaborate electrical network hovering above them is necessary for the whole installation functioning and even takes over in terms of physical space, presenting the moths as subjugated to this power grid. People are invited to walk through this sound, light and moving environment.
This project questions humankind’s relationship to other forms of life as well as the definition of life itself. It presents fragile animal-inspired robots living in their constructed ecosystem, but who’s really in control? What does it mean to have power over other species? Do we (or should we) as humans, have the responsibility to create a world in which each living group can thrive or are we allowed to prioritize our own needs just because we can? I’m interested in ideas of speciesism, anthropocentrism and hierarchies, as well as biopolitics and control through depictions of artificial life.
