Urban environments and manicured nature, with no sight of native organism diversity, have led to forgotten evolutionary histories and a reduced understanding of ecosystem relations. Algaphon is a hybrid installation where algae bubbles that ring at Minnaert frequency near algal filaments are rendered audible through a hydrophone. Online visitors can leave a voice message that is translated into photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) variations in a remote aquarium. The algae bubble response to this human speech is then recorded and sent back to the visitor for them to engage in a reflective dialog with algal species. The installation refocuses the attention on nonvascular physiological mechanisms and invites the viewer to think about how the “umwelten” (environment) is in a heightened dynamic to adapt to human actions.
Harpreet Sareen is a scientist-designer who creates bionic materials and hybrid substrates that lend themselves to future ecological machinery, sensing systems and interaction design.
Franziska Mack is a multidisciplinary designer and researcher based in New York, where she is currently pursuing an MFA at Parsons School of Design.
Yasuaki Kakehi is a media artist, HCI researcher and an Associate Professor at the University of Tokyo. By combining digital technology and physical materials, he has created installation works that show new (alternative) ways of experiencing objects and environments. His work has been presented at exhibitions and conferences such as the Ars Electronica and the Japan Media Arts Festival, which has also won many awards.
Credits
Harpreet Sareen (US/IN/JP) Franziska Mack (DE/US) Yasuaki Kakehi (JP) Yasuaki Kakehi Laboratory, The University of Tokyo (JP)
