Arabidopsis Symphony

There is more to a plant than meets the human eye

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Name

Year

2022

Dive into the inner world of plants

Arabidopsis Symphony uses augmented reality, music, and real-time local data to translate the invisible processes of a plant into an ever-changing immersive experience.

A collaboration with Superposition and Sander van der Krol (Wageningen University & Research).

Visualisation of the Arabidopsis Symphony experience: plants pop up around the viewer while listening to the sounds

Arabidopsis Symphony combines AR and music in an ever-changing experience.

From a plant’s perspective

In Arabidopsis Symphony, these hidden growth processes are input for an interactive experience that tells us: plants are not that different from humans after all — we are all part of the same system.

The installation is based on real-time, location-based data that is translated into augmented reality and music. Walk through a field of human-sized plants and witness — both in image and sound — how real environmental changes directly influence their growth.

Are you visiting on a sunny morning or a drizzly afternoon? The experience is unique every time and everywhere.

Meet our protagonist: the ‘Arabidopsis Thaliana’

The ‘Arabidopsis Thaliana’ is an inconspicuous plant that occurs all around the world, but grows and develops differently due to local climate, weather, and soil conditions.

Through complex adaptations in genes and hormones, the Arabidopsis Thaliana directly responds to changes in its environment (day or night, rain or sunshine). For this reason, it has become the ‘lab rat’ among plants.

Movement of Arabidopsis Thalianas starting to bloom — Wageningen University & Research

Science-based

At the basis of Arabidopsis Symphony lies extensive scientific research by Sander van der Krol from Wageningen University & Research, who meticulously monitors everything that happens inside his Arabidopsis Thaliana plants.

Sander collects all this data in complicated Excel sheets that only plant physiologists can understand. Thanks to this collaboration with Fillip Studios, everyone can now gain insight into the inner life of plants.

Want to know more about this unique collaboration between art and science?

Read our in-depth article: A deeper dive into Arabidopsis Symphony: Sander van der Krol about plant research

Previous and upcoming dates & locations

See when Arabidopsis Symphony travels near you (regularly updated):

Vienna Design Week | 16-25 September 2022

Atlanta Design Festival | 1-9 October 2022

Dutch Design Week | 22-30 October 2022
Official launch of the full edition

Eindhoven Design District | 31 October – 11 February 2022

Anchorage Design Week | February – September 2024

Interested in booking Arabidopsis Symphony for your festival or museum?

For questions, custom requests, and bookings, please visit our contact page.