Photo: Michael Nagl
Interactive living oxygen generator with Chlorella algae cultivated with
the Dept. of Phycology UBB Vienna, here part of ON THE ROAD AGAIN
in Künstlerhaus Vienna from Febr. 18th to May 21st, 2023
https://www.k-haus.at/besuch/kalender/ausstellung
Fragment of sounds of photosynthesis by Karl Stirner
Paul Gründorfer made the bioreactive sound design for the work
more info about the sound of photosynthesis and the bioreactive part further down
Below as part of THROUGH OOZE and SLIME
SOLO exhibition in Galerija Na Katu, Zagreb, HR
Jan. 2023
LIVE PHO2TOSYNTHESIS PERFORMANCE
interactive living oxygen generator
Here you see a living oxygen generator designed for interspecies communication with
algae. It is filled with microscopic marine algae and seaweeds from the North Sea
coast of the Netherlands: Diatoma, Nannochloropsis, Bladderwrack,
Sea whistle, Devil’s Apron, Green Hair Weed.
Full installation with:
Upper aquarium: bladderwrack, gutweed, green hair weed, water, marine salt, LED lights
In the middle: diatoms and nannochloropsis salina, loudspeaker, microphones,
cables, tubes, pump, oxygen masks, paper mouthpieces, LED lights
Below: bladderwrack, toothed wrack, water, marine salt, wood,
LED lights,recycled bottles. Framing galvanised steel
waterpipes - partly recycled.
Algae - micro and macro algae - produce over fifty percent of our atmosphere’s oxygen. Statistically every second breath you take is produced by alga. In turn, they metabolize the carbon dioxide you exhale. There is a continuous cycle of matter between your body and the algae in the waterways of the planet.
You and algae are inseparably connected
Visitor blowing out CO2 in the algae tank, effecting the sound of photosynthesis.
For a further sound impression - see video below or for the sound of photosynthesis,
use the link at the beginning of the page.
The sound you hear is the fizzing and fizzling
of photosynthesizing algae otherwise inaudible
to the human ear, each sound an encounter between
your breath and the chlorophyll-containing algae
cells, the transformation of light into chemical
energy and the crescendo of gas metamorphosis.
Video for a sound impression (best in HD)
Blow out in the machine and sing with the algae!
By blowing out CO2 in the tank the visitor becomes part of the algae's
photosynthesis performance - their participation effects the sound of
this biochemical process, that we made audible for the human ear
Bioreactive Sounddesign:Paul Gründorfer
Sound of photosynthesis: Karl Stirner
Interactive object
for interspecies communication
________________________________________________________________________
Details in the aquariums:
Right - lower aquarium in the installation
with Bladderwrack, condensation
Below - inside the upper aquarium:
Bladderwrack, Gutweed and Green Hair weed
Seaweeds that I collected July 2022 at the North Sea coast - Vrouwenpolder and Neeltje Jans, Zeeland NL
Seaweeds have to deal with the flood tide, with ebb and flow, and are used to periods of drought. The moment I put the dried seaweeds in the water (that I collected months before at the North Sea Coast in the Netherlands) they start to revive and release oxygen again. Not finding themselves in their natural habitat, a few days after they start to decay. Why I only showed the installation in Zagreb for 7 days.
The seaweeds made a choreography
on the sound of photosynthesis
Below part of
LUDIC TERRITORIES
Das LOT, Anker Brotfabrik Vienna
2024
Group exhibition solely with interactive works
https://www.lot.wien/event-details/ludic-territories
https://esel.at/termin/124916/ludic-territories
Tank with Chlorella Algae
cultivated with Alexander Kaptejna, department of Phycology, UBB Vienna
Full installation in Das LOT Anker Brotfabrik
Algae after transport
to Zagreb
Nannochloropsis for in the aquarium tank, Zagreb 2023