Desert Rose By: Keya, Mirette, Elora and Marcos
a. Overview
An interactive desert installation composed of sculptural “Desert rose crystals” that respond to human presence through light and sound. When the viewer is still, the installation emits a soft glow along with a calming soundscape, creating a sense of healing and serenity. Upon movement or interaction the environment shifts into a more “vicious” state, lights begin to glitch, and sounds distort, surrounding the participant in a hallucinatory, reactive experience. The installation symbolizes the contrast between the healing qualities of the desert rose crystal and the poisonous qualities of the desert rose plant.
b. Concept
The project draws inspiration from the dual identity of the Desert Rose, both a healing crystal and a poisonous plant that induces hallucinations. This contrast between tranquility and toxicity forms the basis of our installation. By translating these opposing qualities into sensory behavior, the installation becomes a living metaphor for balance and contradiction.
c. Relationship to previous work (e.g. inspiration from other artworks)
- Pulse Island: An array of over 4,000 Edison lightbulbs creates a topology that illuminates the plant life of Lulu Island. Each lightbulb glimmers to the rhythm of the heartbeat of a different participant, detected by PPG pulse sensors located within the piece by Rafael Lozano-Hemmer.
- Floral Resonance is an installation by Christian Brinkmann, inviting us to shape space through touch, thanks to an interactive plant that infuses the work with a presence that is both living and sonorous. When the hand approaches or comes into contact with the plant, it triggers unique sensory reactions, both auditory and visual. The video’s soundscape is derived from real-time recordings of the interactions, and the images are based on an exact 3D scan of the original plant, including its natural textures, hues and imperfections.
d. Sketch or image explaining the proposed work
e. Planned technical implementation
The Desert Rose Installation will consist of three large desert rose sculptures, each approximately human height, arranged in a triangular configuration to surround the participant. Each sculpture will integrate embedded speakers, motion sensors, distance sensors, and Neopixel LED strips, enabling synchronized audiovisual interaction that reacts dynamically to user behavior and proximity.
e1. Microcontrollers:
Each sculpture will be powered by our CircuitPython boards, connected between each other through cables (the method still has to be figured out, but it is possible).
e2. Sensors:
- Motion sensors (PIR or ultrasonic) will detect the participant’s movements and gestures.
- Distance sensors will gauge proximity of the user to the desert roses.
- (Optionally??) Computer vision may be introduced in later iterations to track body movement or position within the installation.
e3. Lighting:
Neopixel LED strips embedded in the structures will create reactive lighting patterns, transitioning from soft, balanced hues (representing healing) to flickering, glitching light (representing poison or hallucination).
e4. Audio:
Each sculpture will contain an independent speaker generating unique sound textures. Sounds will be spatially panned across the three speakers, creating an immersive soundscape that surrounds the participant.
e5. Fabrication:
We are still brainstorming if we want to 3D print or laser cut parts. We will explore the scene shop for options.
Link to Slide Deck: Presentation Slides
References: