Possible Future 1.0 (2022) explores the coexistence of artificial and natural vegetation, where both exist side by side, creating a new kind of ecosystem. I began documenting artificial plants because I do not know whether they are simply a passing trend that will disappear over time or the beginning of a larger transformation.
As these synthetic plants become more common in homes, offices, shopping centers, and public spaces, they raise questions about our relationship with nature. Will they remain an imitation of the natural world, or will they continue to spread until they become a replacement for it?
The project brings together a collection of digital images and a site-specific installation in the form of an indoor "garden." The installation is built entirely from artificial elements: fake grass, the artificial sound of birds, and a fragrance that imitates the scent of flowers. Within this artificial landscape, fireflies appear as a reminder of something that, only a few years ago, felt ordinary but has now almost disappeared. Their presence creates a contrast between memory and simulation.
Exhibition view of ENTWINED ENVIRONMENTS Part 2, curated by Raluca Oancea and Andrei Mateescu at CAV Multimedia, Bucharest, 2023.