Dual Gardens
Berlin, 2004
The Gardens installation plays with a dialogue between virtual and real plants. It is a visual experiment using computational design in the realm of flora in public space.
The installation consists of two parts in dialogue: a vertical façade following the staircase that extends a real tree trunk positioned in the entrance area, and a long, street-level façade extending the entrance lobby. The horizontal façade has two different states, one for special performance and another for façade animation. Both states use the same content, but the projection shifts from the floor to the window. With the help of Privalight-screens and tiltable mirrors, the windows can be made opaque and turned into projection surfaces.
During special performances, performers clad in white conical dresses blend in with the projection, becoming the source of the floral growth in the computational garden. Vines grow out of their dresses and extend to the floor. Water glasses are placed on their hems, inviting the audience to have a drink and wander around in the environment created out of virtual and real plants. The computational narrative starts with growing tendrils that begin to blossom. A storm and lightning blow the leaves and petals away, only to start the growth again.
