FISH PLANT RACK V.2
ANDY GRACIE (United Kingdom)
Can a robot balance an ecosystem and sustain future biodiversity?
Fish, Plant, Rack V.2 allows the navigational electrical discharges of the virtually blind elephant fish Gnathonemus petersi to instruct the actions of a robot whose task is to monitor the development of plants in a hydroponic system. Using an AI system DharmAi designed by Brian Lee Dae Yung, the robot listens to the audible incoming stream of pulses from the fish and interprets emerging patterns and densities of clicks as parameters for actions. The robot, despite its sophisticated intelligence, is a slave to the fish and to the plants and is caught in a one-dimensional arena which allows it to express itself only within prescribed limits. In a situation that accommodates three different forms of intelligence, is this a future ecological system that perfectly balanced?
Andy Gracie’s artistic practice is characterised by an in depth engagement with process, scientific methodologies and the nature of experiment. His work commonly features mechanical apparatus that perform real time experiments, including video, sound and performative elements. He has completed residences at Aalto University, Helsinki and COMAFOSCA in Barcelona and was one of the founders of the internationally acclaimed DIY science collective Hackteria. Alongside his practical work, he is a regular presenter at art and science conferences around the world, from the Finnish Arctic to the US Library of Congress.