Earlier this week I mused about an accidental fusion between music and visualisation. This comes on the back of other pieces about smells and visualisation and the possibility of taste and visualisation. Now we find a new collaborative concept in the shape of gardening and visualisation, or HortiViz if you like (or more likely, don’t like).
Conceived by academics at the University of Lincoln and designers Harfleet & Harfleet, the ‘Digital Capabilities‘ project is a twitter-activity-driven exhibit at this year’s Chelsea Flower Show and came away with a gold medal.
I’m no gardener so I’ll let the project’s creators explain the concept:
The plot is divided diagonally by an electronic panelled screen that separates the planting into two distinct areas, one visible and one concealed. The visible area is a tapestry of familiar plants, including soft green shades and creamy-coloured flowers with a touch of pink and a zing of citrus. Foliage adds texture and movement. The partially obscured planting beyond the panelled screen offers a dramatic contrast, with less familiar, stout-stemmed plants and large, rich green leaves creating a dark and exotic effect.
When Tweets discussing the RHS Chelsea Flower Show or Digital Capabilities are detected, the panelled screen activates, permitting selected views of the concealed garden. The planting represents the world of the internet, moderated and revealed by our desire for knowledge and interaction. The garden highlights the contrasts between analogue/digital, material/immaterial, familiar/unfamiliar and global/local.
OK, maybe the connection with visualisation is slightly tenuous but it’s all good fun. There is far more information, videos and photos on the project’s site.