TABOO - TRANSGRESSION - TRANSCENDENCE

For this artwork presentation I will present, Neon Biotope, a neon light, self-powered algae sculpture. I would like to have the sculpture installed for the duration of the conference. This self-sustaining, living artwork investigates the affective and ecological reciprocation between neon light and Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, a model organism widely used in biological research. By utilizing neon light for its affectual, sensory qualities rather than semantic or semiotic ones, the work establishes a cybernetic system where the spectral properties of neon—tuned to the algae’s photosynthetic preferences—become its lifesource. This system probes the organism’s biological response to specific light spectra, and repositions neon as an active participant in a multiplicitous assemblage of technology and life. Through this interdisciplinary convergence, this sculpture recontextualizes neon light for a biocentric future and proposes new methodologies for engaging with luminous media.