Flowers and People
John Hill
13. May 2016
Photo: Courtesy of teamLab
Twenty works by teamLab, a group of "ultra-technologists" from Tokyo, are on display until July 21st at PACE Art + Technology in Menlo Park, California, including the immersive, constantly changing Flowers and People, Cannot be Controlled but Live Together – A Whole Year per Hour.
As the name of the digital installation indicates, the flower projections move through the seasonal patterns of growth and decay over the course of one hour. But visitors are guaranteed to experience something unique each time, since Flowers and People is not a prerecorded or looped animation. Instead it is a work rendered in real time by a computer program that senses and responds to the locations of people in the space.
The installation was inspired by the flowers growing beneath the many cherry blossoms teamLab encoutered on a visit to Kunisaka Peninsula: did the flowers propagate naturally or did people plant them? Following from these observations and questions is their assertion that "nature and humans are not antagonistic concepts ... a healthy ecosystem should include the symbiosis of humans and nature." Flowers and People depicts this notion, ironically enough, in a dark space closed off from the outside world – but one almost as beautiful as the real thing.
Photo: Courtesy of teamLab
Photo: Courtesy of teamLab
Photo: Courtesy of teamLab
Flowers and People is part of teamLab's Living Digital Space and Future Parks, on display from 6 February to 21 July 2016 at Pace Art + Technology.