Pond Battery is a continuation of Biotricity art-science research project carried out by RIXC – Riga based artist collective. To monitor the bacterial electricity generation process in out-door conditions, RIXC artists use contemporary language and tools of science and innovative technologies. Last summer six “bacteria cells” were installed in the pond of Botanical Garden of University of Latvia in Riga. Live web-cam images and continues measurements of bacteria electricity fluctuations, were delivered live on the Internet, thus making audible and visible the invisible activity of nature – such as was is happening at the bottom of a pond, and which otherwise we can neither see nor hear. Collected data from the seven month long observation of the Pond Battery – from summer to winter, are now transformed into visualized data landscapes, video and sound composition, creating sensual and emotional experiences – a poetics of green energy.

Credits: RIXC – production;Rasa Smite and Raitis Smits – artistic concept, visualization graphics, sound composition; Voldemars Johansons – sonification; Martins Ratniks – video editing; Arturs Gruduls – scientifc solutions and monitoring; Solid State Physics Institute of Latvian University – partner, scientific solutions; Aigars Alnis – programmer, technical support; Art Research Lab of Liepaja University – partner, technical support.