BIOTRICITY
Realtime visualisation and sonification of bio energy

Rasa Smite, Raitis Smits in collaboration with Voldemars Johansons

The installation consists of a double cell “bacteria battery”, where the electricity is generated by micro-organisms living in a mud. The fluctuation of bacteria electricity is interpreted into realtime stereo-sound structures. Simultaneously, the video on the screen is manipulated by the live sound and interpreted into realtime glitch visualisations. The installation is/can be complemented by digital prints with the electronic microscope images showing the bacteria environment in different scales.

 

Biotricity is an art science experiment series that explore local ecosystems for envisioning renewable future scenarios, by reconsidering our relations with nature and technology, biological and social systems, human and microorganism worlds. The MFC is the next generation bio technology that converts chemical energy to electrical energy by using microorganisms – bacteria found in the mud, sediments of the pond or sewage.

We have developed a monitoring system that transmits continues measurements of bacteria created electrical energy over the Internet in realtime. Continuous measurements deliver visible and audible impressions of this form of electricity generation. Someday, this technology could be used to upgrade waste treatment facilities into power plants. Biotricity project creates new sensual and emotional experiences – a poetics of green energy.

 

Credits: RIXC – production; Rasa Smite and Raitis Smits – artistic concept, visualisation, graphics; Voldemars Johansons – sonification; Janis Jankevics – video editing; Arturs Gruduls – scientifc solutions; Solid State Physics Institute of Latvian University.

 

EXHIBITIONS

Eco Visionaries, Laboral, Gijon, Spain, May – October 2019

Open Codes, ZKM, Karlsruhe, Germany, October 2017 – June 2018

Art Vilnius 2017, Vilnius, Lithuania, June 2017

Le Festival du Design, Les Arts Codés, Paris, France, June 2016

Transformative Ecologies, Maison Du Design, Mons, Belgium, August 2015

Green Room exposition, National Museum of Science and Technology, Stockholm, Sweden, April 10 – July 10, 2015

Kiblix 2014: Paralele/Paraleles, Maribor, Slovenia, October 2014

Copenhagen Alternative Art Fair Alt_Cph14, Copenhagen, Denmark, September 2014

Fields, Arsenals Exhibition Hall of the Latvian National Arts Museum, Riga, Latvia, May 15 - August 3, 2014