This summer, we had the opportunity to bring Sinfonía biótica to PIFcamp, an international art and technology camp held in the stunning Soča River Valley in Slovenia. The experience was unique, not only to showcase our work, but also to build community, share knowledge, and immerse ourselves in the collaborative energy that characterizes this gathering.
Workshop: Discovering the technology behind Sinfonía Biótica
During the week, we held a practical workshop where we demonstrated how the technology behind Sinfonía biótica works: from digitizing spaces with drones and techniques such as Gaussian splatting, to capturing electrical impulses from plants and transforming them into sound and visual data. We also shared how we use virtual reality to generate experiences that promote awareness of other organisms. The workshop became a space for dialogue and the exchange of ideas, stimulating collaboration among participants.
Open Saturday: plant and digital interaction
For Open Saturday, we designed an interactive installation combining plant biodata and projections. We digitized the PIFcamp courtyard with a drone and created a dynamic point cloud, where the plants' electrical impulses generated sounds and altered the digital scene in real time, as if they were taking control of the space.
The audience could interact thanks to several devices built during the week, including a piezoelectric device and an amplifier transformed into a touch button, contributing their own participation to the sound and visual composition.
Audiovisual performance with Simon Goricar
In collaboration with live coding artist Simon Goricar, we created an audiovisual performance combining the point clouds from Sinfonía biótica with music and generative visuals in real time. The performance was an example of how the digital, the vegetal, and the human can interact in a poetic and experimental way.
A week of learning and experimentation
Beyond our activities, we took the opportunity to participate in numerous workshops: from electronics with biomaterials, creating bird calls with motors, to listening to and manipulating ultrasound, experimenting with homemade ferments, and making craft beverages. The week was an incredible space for learning, sharing, and connecting, discovering new techniques, ideas, and friendships in a collaborative and creative environment.
