Resonant Roots
The City's Lost Garden
Mediums
Midjourney
Touchdesigner
Projector
Timeline
Feb - May 2023
Team
Yi Wang(Creative Technologist)
May Baho(UX Researcher)
My Roles
Art Director
AI Generative Designer
This noise-reactive installation gathers surrounding environmental noise of site-specific locations and outputs several visualizations of long-extinct plants from NYC to bring attention to the effects of urban noise, which we usually ignore or acclimatize to.
The project highlights the presence of urban noise and raises awareness about its effect on healthy urban living. Our goal is to celebrate native flora as well as reflect restorative environments with good sound quality, where people feel well. The project is also envisioning the future urban oasis in New York City, which symbolizes its link to its history, but also provides some sort of comfort to mitigate the urban stress.
Imapct
1. Raising Awareness about the impact of noise pollution.
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2. Promoting Sustainability by showcasing the importance of preserving natural habitats and biodiversity in cities
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3. Boosting Tourism to generate revenue for local businesses
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4. Enhancing Public Space by transforming the unused utilized areas into a vibrant and engaging space.
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5. Encouraging Public Engagement by providing a platform for
visitors to gather for community events and activities.
Problem
Research has shown that urban noise affects the quality of life and increases urban
stress levels. The over industrialization of New York City has made it hard for natural urban oases to exist.
Noise distribution in NYC, image from NYTimes
Solution
We intended to create Digital Urban Oases fed by the noise, featuring organic forms and introduce extinct plants originally from NYC to reduce the level of urban stress and increase awareness of noise pollution.
The graph shows the three states of the digital plant fed by noise in the New York City
Process
We initially researched the extinct plants and city structure of New York City, then extracted keywords which serve as input for Midjourney. By utilizing the techniques of machine learning, we get some visual direction for the appearance of the digital plants based on over a hundred generative images. Then, we chose one of the visual outputs to generate the noise pictures which will be analyzed and animated by Touchdesigner
Conclusion
In conclusion, this noise-reactive digital plant installation effectively combines technology, art, and environmental awareness to address the pressing issue of biodiversity preservation in urban environments. By showcasing the connection between human activities, such as daily noise patterns, and the environment, this project sheds light on the potential consequences of urbanization on native plants and ecosystems. Through our research, we've demonstrated the value of using innovative approaches to engage the public and encourage reflection on our impact on the natural world. As urban planners and policymakers continue to develop our cities, my project serves as a timely reminder to prioritize the protection of biodiversity and incorporate sustainable practices in city design.