Orgàna belongs to the species Fluxus terrestris, a living being which is never found in a state of equilibrium but which exists permanently in a dynamic flow. The ecosystem in which it lives is in constant and relentless metamorphosis. The direction this metamorphosis takes is unpredictable, it depends on the laws of chaos and complexity. And it is unique. If we could rewind and replay the tape of Orgàna’s life, the result would never be the same twice.
Every living being influences the evolution of Orgàna simply by being part of it. And what about humans? Our species stands out from the others because it has the power to accelerate and disrupt this process. For better or for worse? That depends on the choices it makes.
The installation is an Interactive Data Sculpture, a sculpture made up of living data which reacts to the behaviour of the visitors. Thanks to a web app we find ourselves with “the Earth in our hands”, a powerful and controversial image which calls to mind a certain arrogance typical of the Anthropocene but also, at the same time, a necessary sense of responsibility. What can we do?
Our movements lead the Planet to positive or negative environmental conditions. If we are careless or, worse, if we behave in a knowingly destructive way, the ecosystem can take unpleasant turns. The greater the number of users connected, the more difficult it is to move. The actions of the participants represent individual, more or less conscious, choices. The individual choices, all together, become collective choices with greater impact. The end result is a change in Orgàna and its evolution over time.
On the border between art and science, the aim of the project is to help us understand, on a cognitive as well as an emotional level, our individual and, above all, collective capacity to influence both our Planet’s climate and the evolution of the living organisms that inhabit it. Another goal is to help us understand that our individual choices count, but that the choices made at a collective level have a far greater impact. We are therefore invited to take on an active role in making political and economic choices.
The dynamics of visitor engagement are inspired by the most up-to-date scientific knowledge in this field and draw on energy and climate models like those incorporated in En-ROADS, a powerful simulator developed by Climate Interactive, a think tank related to MIT Sloan School of Management. Orgàna also takes its place in the international debate on contemporary urban art, redefining relationships with public space, both physical and virtual, and experimenting a direct connection with citizenship.