Installation with 47 wild plants in 47 microbial fuel cells pots. The electrogenic bacteria in the soil release electrons that are captured by 2 electrodes in each pot (carbon felt and zinc).

 

An electronic circuit harvests the electrons and charges a capacitor (a sort of battery). When the capacitor is sufficiently charged, a speaker and green LED are activated, until the capacitor is discharged. The cycle starts again.

 

The microbial fuel cell pots were made during a series of workshops in the lovely communal garden 7000 Schmetterlinge (7000 butterflies), with plants collected along the nearby road and in a local industrial wasteland.

 

The installation is part of the group exhibition Tingling Earth – Shauer unter der Haut der Erde🔥 in KunstlerinnenHaus Dortmund Germany. 22nd August to 25th September 2026.

Big thanks to curating team Natalia Matsenko, Lex Rütten, Jana Kerima Stolzer, Yuri Yefanov, 7000 Schmetterlinge excellent caretaker Barbara Koch and fellow artist and wasteland plant collector Lina Kusaite 💚