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Synantrophe

Synantrophe

Video

About

As humanity grows inexorably, we tend to displace and suppress nature. Climate change, overpopulation, agriculture, selective breeding, hunting and fishing leave a huge footprint on our planet.  In the final step of the Anthropocene, flora and fauna die out or evolve to cope with the new circumstances and become subservient to humans. Synantrophe discusses as a speculative postnaturalistic way of existence a vision of the future between dystopia and fascination. 

The synantrophe lives in the proximity of humans and takes advantage of the artificial environment we are visibly creating. We supply this new life form with omnipresent electromagnetic radiation, which in turn wants to bring us close to it through a kinetic and auditory spectacle, an active and adaptive luring behavior. The ultimate goal of the synantrophe is to create a physical bond with the digital interface of almost every human: his smartphone. This symbiosis feeds the synantrophe and drives its evolution.

bokeh of some lights in the foreground. slim rods with lights and a blossom attatched at the top are standing in a green and lush field in nature

Still Images

a three panel image showing details about the installation SYNANTROPHE. The left panel is showing a extreme close up of the leds on top of spring steel rods, 5 in total. They have different heights. The middle panel is showing green plant leaves partially occluding the base of the brush with a circular holding mechanism on top of a black box. some cables are visible. a two panel image showing details about the installation SYNANTROPHE. The left panel is a close up of the blossom, showing an intricite origami like folded sheet of slightly translucent pvc. there is a led in the middle of it and a charging cable coming out of it. The right panel is showing another perspective of the leds and the blossom from slightly above. The picture shows the installation SYNANTROPHE setup in a mostly white hallway. The is a patch of dirt, leaves and the installation in the middle of it with several branches and the blossom. BEhind it is a white box and a screen on top of it showing the documentation video.

Technical Specs

Synantrophe was developed with the use of ESP32 as the Brain of every branch and blossom. Independently they detect Bluetooth RSSI in the enviroment and react accordingly.

All plants are constructed using minimal power. This way a solar power and a battery could be used.

Collaboration

Synantrophe was developed as part of the Island of Things project, which took place in the summer of 2021 on Valentinswerder Island in Lake Tegel.

In cooperation with Philippe Hansen.

A close up of the blossom of the installation SYNANTROPHE