Second Nature

Abstract

"Second Nature" consists of a series of augmented objects that imagines a world where natural objects emit digital signals. In this work, cut pine trees emanate potential Wi-Fi networks, glitchy Bluetooth connections hover over the leaves of potted plants, autumn leaves search for lost mobile data, and we become tethered to rocks like we do a personal hotspot. These physical objects are encountered in an installation surrounded by pink walls, where viewers engage with them through a mobile device to search for their hidden digital signals. This work references the communicative abilities of plants, and through animated motifs symbolic of telecommunications services visually imagines how nature could become manipulated through digital technology in the future. "Second Nature" demonstrates experimental research into the use of augmented reality image target detection. I found that living leaves were not as successfully detected as printed or non-living leaves and innovatively approached to this problem by creating "hybrid" objects made of artificial, specifically fabricated, and natural components.