NYAB Event - Jonathon Keats "Strange Skies"

This event has ended.
At AC Institute
Media: Film, Video installation

Directed and Produced by Jonathon Keats Plants have roots. As a consequence of this simple fact, they do not travel naturally, lacking the chance to experience the world's vast diversity, and even missing out on the many subcultures and microclimates of New York City. In order to let flora encounter distant realms vicariously, conceptual artist Jonathon Keats presents a series of travel documentaries specifically targeted to the plant kingdom.

Given their ability to perform photosynthesis, plants are a fit audience for cinema. These travel documentaries exploit that affinity, screening onto plants' leaves a selection of skies – the ultimate botanical tourist attraction – filmed in the United States and Europe. Since plants do not have human eyesight, and perceive light only in aggregate, footage is projected onto a scrim which diffuses the picture, streaming subtly changing tints of blue onto the foliage below.

People are also invited to visit. But of course, human experience will be second-hand: Strange Skies is presented for the entertainment of plants.

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