GOLDEN FREQUENCIES

GOLDEN FREQUENCIES (2021)
Oscilloscope film (9:04 min)

The media is constantly engaged in the process of attributing exceptional qualities to the earth's exploitable resources, the value of gold being a notable example. The algae Gelidium sesquipedale, for example, has been described as Morocco's 'red gold'. At the same time, researchers are studying the biochemical composition of red algae and their resilience to climate change and over-exploitation of marine resources by humans. Plants emit electrical signals in response to external stimuli, including temperature changes, salt stress and light. GOLDEN FREQUENCIES elucidates this scientific phenomenon and extends it to a hardware-generated interpretation of the signals received. The abstract shapes, their circling and trembling movements, represent the inner life of the algae, somewhere between fact and fiction.

The recorded electrical signals originate from the following algae, identified during field research carried out in El Jadida in September 2021: Gelidium sesquipedale, Gracilaria multipartita, Ulva lactuca.
Credits:
Concept & production: 560Zoom
Commissioned by: A.MAL
Funded by: British Council
Exhibited at: P21 London, ONCA Gallery Brighton, CCA Glasgow, Mahal Art Space Tangier, cellu l'art kurzfilmfestival
Image Credits: A.MAL, Mahal Art Space