DJ Moss
Terrarium, living moss, electronics, record players, computer. 100 x 50 x 50cm

This artwork is a 2020 Experimenta Commission, presenting as part of Experimenta Life Forms: International Triennial of Media Art, touring nationally until 2023. experimenta.org/lifeforms

DJ Moss is a playful response to the artist’s observations of the ever-evolving spectrum of machine vs human-made entertainment by introducing another protagonist to the mix – living, breathing moss. Being neither algorithm nor person, DJ Moss brings an alternative type of living entity to the decks. The work is a living system in and of itself.

The moss, a plant that sits in a unique taxonomic division of Bryophyta, exhibits basic internal communication systems. Its micro-signals are made perceptible to the audience via special sensors made visible through interactive graphs. Different signals can trigger a range of classic DJ moves, mixing in new sounds or changing the rhythm of the music. The turntables spin vinyl engraved with nature sounds, juxtaposing the artificial electronic output of the laptop with the analogue natural sounds of the records.

This strange and haphazard performance prompts us to reflect on the agency of plant life, their societal networks and systems of communication, as well as our relationship with non-human and non-biological systems.

DJ Moss Sculpture by Interactive Artist Thomas Marcusson

DJ Moss Sculpture by Interactive Artist Thomas Marcusson






 








TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Terrarium, living moss, electronics, record players, computer.
100 x 50 x 50cm


TECHNICAL REQUIREMENT

Custom Plinths, Electric Feed