“Finally, the Nation of Plants, the most important, widespread and powerful nation on Earth, speaks.”
Stefano Mancuso’s words invite us to look at the plant world from a different perspective.
Plants absorb carbon dioxide, produce oxygen, sustain ecosystems, keep soils fertile and form the foundation of every food chain.
For this reason, learning to respect them, to listen to them and to understand their needs, rhythms and strategies of adaptation can help us imagine a relationship with nature that safeguards the future of every form of life on Earth.
Without plants, animal life—including our own—simply could not exist.
A message that has also resonated in the world of art. In recent years, artists such as Brian d’Souza, Tosca Terán and Miha Godec have explored ways of transforming the physiological processes of plants into sensory experiences capable of bringing us closer to the complexity of the natural world.
How?
Sensors attached to leaves and petals detect the imperceptible bioelectrical variations generated by plants in response to environmental stimuli. This data is then processed by dedicated software and translated into sound, making audible an activity that would otherwise remain beyond human perception.
During Milano Design Week, this way of listening also found expression within the spaces of Paola Lenti Milano, becoming the soundtrack to the daily videos filmed in Via Bovio to chronicle the event.
Soundscapes where the dialogue between design and nature allows us to hear the world breathe.
Cornus Florida Rubra illustrates the two different levels of listening. The first audio track presents the sounds generated from the plant’s bioelectrical signals. The second transforms the same data into a musical composition through a process of artistic interpretation.
Photo © Maurizio Natta
Cinematographers Gianlorenzo Bernabò
Video editor Fabrizio Polla Mattiot
Sound designer Matteo Fusi
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