‘Preparing to Become Tranxxeno: The Obxeno Apparatus’ explores the long-duration in-situ observation of lichen growth through a biomorphic computational system that additionally provides a habitat for other local species. One desire is to try and enter into “lichen time” by sitting, through the computational device, for months if not years with a single exemplar of lichen. The device takes occasional photos to produce timelapses that additionally show the temporal dynamics of the lichen: its growth, its interaction with other entities, its stillness. This long-duration observation is something that is not often done with lichen, even within a scientific context. The images become part of an archive that can be viewed by people from wherever they live, online. The lichen-device context is designed to meld into the environment and manifests a new way of incorporating computational devices outside of human habitation.

The work is installed in the Shadow Garden in the context of Future Gardening.

Made possible by: