"Hylozoic Ground" is an artificial hanging garden, a subtly pulsating and breathing matrix of mechanical responses and microscopic material exchanges. This is living matter...
By Philip BeesleyHylozoic ground. The installation in Mexico, 2010. Photo: Pierre Charron.
Hylozoic Ground, Mexico 2010. One of Rachel Armstrong‘s proto-cells, which react to the presence of visitors. The slight increase in CO2 triggers colour changes or movement in other parts of the system. Photo: Pierre Charron.
Philip Beesley's installation “Hylozoic Ground” is an artificial environment made from thousands and thousands of very small, light, digitally fabricated components, microprocessors and sensors. A combination of chemistry and mechanics brings this forest to life: the glassy, transparent elemets react to light, humidit and touch, and move slowly through a system of leaves, whiskers and filters. And throughout the system trickles the waters of the Venetian lagoon.
Hylozoic Ground was Canada’s contribution to the Venice Architecture Biennale, 2010.
Read Rachel Armstrong's article "Lawless Sustainability" here.