Growthoscope
Visualising Plant Growth in Time
Growthoscope is an interactive time-lapse installation that reveals the imperceptible movements of plants. By allowing audiences to manipulate time as a variable, the work explores the extent to which we can perceive plant behaviour—bridging the gap between the ubiquitous presence of plants and their often unnoticed motion. Recent version is afforded by 4d Gaussian Splatting
Growthoscope, 2008 Media: Interactive installation, live plant, multi-camera setup, semi-transparent projection screen Dimensions: 100 cm x 100 cm x 160 cm
Playback and Interaction
Rewinding the Growth Timeline
The projected image of the living plant can be manipulated using a handle-like navigation bar, similar to a throttle. The playback history can be viewed up to the present moment, creating a continuous timeline of the plant’s growth.
One handle controls the speed of playback, adjusting the lapse between frames, while the other stretches the history forward and backward toward the last recorded capture. The result is a time-lapse-like experience where the plant’s growth is projected onto itself, revealing its evolving form.
Real-Time Growth Observation
Capturing the Invisible
The plant’s image is continuously captured and stored on a computer hard drive, where a bespoke program processes and reconfigures the playback in real-time. Interaction with the system alters these parameters, allowing the recorded images to be recalled and displayed dynamically.
The aim is to capture key moments of rapid plant movement - such as leaves closing at night or the sudden spurt of seedling growth. In this way, Growthoscope serves its purpose, making real-time plant growth visible to the human eye.
