Artificial Bioluminescence
Interactive and immersive installation in the Fresh Media Show
Overview
Exhibited at the Fresh Media Show in the Boston CyberArts Gallery, "Artificial Bioluminescence" was an interactive and immersive art installation originated from my final project for the sensor and responsive environment class at the MIT Media Lab. I used LEDs, Arduinos, self-designed and ready-made sensors to recreate my personal experiences with bioluminescence — light emitted by living creatures. The attempt to emulate the the natural phenomenon using technological artifacts in an urban setting, served as a reminder to appreciate and respect the nature, and to protect these bio lights from fading away in the process of technologization.
My academic background in arts and technology, enabled my cross-disciplinary approach to research, conceptualizing, rapid prototyping, programing and the fabrication of all the pieces. The final installation was optimized through rounds of testing and iterations, and consisted of two pieces, which were taken inspirations from fireflies and dinoflagellates — a type of marine bioluminescent bacteria.
Part I: LED Fireflies
In this piece, 100 LEDs were programed to flicker asynchronously, simulating a large group of fireflies. Each LED encapsulated in a white pingpong ball and was soldered together into 10 strips and were together controlled by a single Arduino. Sound and light sensors were used to control the rhythm of these “fireflies”. Hang from the ceiling of a dark room, the viewers were welcomed to walk into the "fireflies" but were not encourage to use flash lights or talk loudly, as any strong light or sudden loud noise would return the room to darkness for a while.
Part II: LED Dinoflagellates
The second piece consists of a tank of water and approximately 20 LEDs, each sealed in a pingpong ball in order to float on the water. The floating lights were devised to respond to the water movements — see the schematic for how they worked.
Each LED powered by a button battery, had and was its own sensor. Individually, they would light up as the water moved or fade away as the the water calmed, or being removed from the water completely.
Inspirations
Bioluminescence never fails to fascinate me – whether it’s a firefly twinkling between bushes on a dark night or a unicellular organism that glitters in water. It is a phenomenon that puzzled many scientists and yet to be replicable by modern technology.
Growing up in a major city in China, I rarely got to see fireflies in a natural environment. I remember attending this event hosted by my home city many years ago, where thousands of fireflies were transported from a different area to be set free in a park for the public to see. The event did not turn out well — all I could remember seeing were bright flashes coming from cellphone cameras, as the fireflies were too scared to light up or fly away by the large crowd, dense noises and strong camera flashes.
Fast forward a few years, I had a magical experience seeing and interacting with the "glowing water" off the coast of Puerto Rico. As I swept my hand into the water, countless of tiny single-celled creatures called dinoflagellates would light up the surrounding water.
These personal experiences inspired me to create this installation art. The intention of this art was not to match the experiences I had, but a reminder for the viewers to appreciate and be mindful of the beauty of the nature.