These miniature rivers circulate water and dissolved nutrients used by the mosses. As mosses are also hyperaccumulators, the mosses cleanse the microplastics from the water and other industrial-strength toxins potentially leaking into the water.

I am reusing and embracing plastic by upcycling what I have purchased and feel responsible for. While a romantic notion, these works do not offer real solutions to global plastic waste, though they serve more as an example of the possibilities for reuse.

The placement of the cow bone in the image above refers to the notion that all of these things, the metals, the industrial chemicals, etc., are part and parcel of what is flowing through us. It is now well-established science that microplastics enter all our bodies at the cellular level.

The PET plastic in this work melted and shaped with a heat gun appears as glass at first sight, though it has none of the preciousness or weighty aspects of glass, though all of the clarity.

There is so much to love about mosses. The rain and water cling to the deep green strands while holding moisture close to the surface of the stones. The moss mats collect dust, nutrients, and debris as they grow, shrink, decompose, and form rich hummus.

It is further notable that humans have discovered that mosses have natural antifreeze.

The chemical processes that are part of the nature of mosses in slowly breaking the rocks into sand and smaller grains are quite poetic to me.

They are preparing and making their own soil while conditioning their living place with their waste.

Mosses can also be a host to many other living things, making them a living foundation with soil as a battery.

A single clump of moss about the size of a baseball can contain over a quarter million microscopic beings. Moss is also quite resilient as it can lose 98% of its water and still survive dormant for decades.

Give moss some water, and it will bounce back to green.

Moss has no vasculature like regular leaves but rather absorbs water through the cell walls of their leaves while wicking moisture throughout their mats with the water’s surface tension physics allowing them to soak their filamentous shapes.

The epiphytes that are also part of this installation sit in drilled-out branches, and the branches have living lichen on them.

I am excited about the lichen and its relation to the mosses in this work as well as the filtration capabilities of the lucky bamboo.

A micrograph of the epiphyte reveals the trichomes evolved to collect moisture from the air.

Some of the gardens have miniature logs with sustenance in rotting bark and logs being also absorbed over time by the moss.

THE CULTURAL ARTS CENTER                                                                              Columbus, Ohio Sept 26, 2018
“Hypotheses: art inspired by the many worlds of Science” curated by Amandda Leigh Tirey invites the premiere of Spider Haus Movies, Borderless Bacteria, and Colonialist Cash the Rivers Run Through us, Moss Gardens.

Humans feed the worms food waste, the worms eat and feed the plant’s worm tea, the plants inhale human CO2 and exhale oxygen, the humans breathe fresh air, and you can hug the furry planters if you like. : )

Machine Garden is a new collaborative project in which plants, constructed, and sewn grow bags, worms, fungi, and machines will coexist in a state of symbiotic intertwining. This integrated system of plants, worms, and devices allows plant roots of various varieties to reach forward and enable fungi to communicate. Connected highways constructed of tubes allow worms to travel from plant to plant, enriching the soil.

The work is a collaborative project between Ken Rinaldo and Amy Youngs.

The work is a commission of the University of Maine, located in the lobby of the Wyeth Family Studio Art Center. The building houses the Innovative Media, Research and Commercialization Center at the University of Maine.

Water comes from the worm bin on the right side and is pumped to the sewn bags with drip irrigation via micro peristaltic pumps.

Food scraps from the local cafe in the building nourish both worms and plants. The plants in the space absorb carbon dioxide from the occupants of the buildings and provide fresh oxygen to humans working within.

These bags with plants serve as a vertical air filter removing toxins. Spider Plants (Chlorophytum comosum) can remove up to 560 µG/H of formaldehyde Xylene and toluene.

English Ivy (Hdererea helix) that does wonderfully in these grow bags removes up to 579 µG/H of benzene, 402-1120 µG/H of trichloroethylene, as well as Xylene and Toluene. Golden Pothos (Philodendron cordatum) can remove up to 353 µG/H of formaldehyde. 1

Amy Youngs is an excellent collaborator working on the worm hive.

The plants will add moisture to the air and provide areas of warmth and visual focus to relax viewers as they enter and exit the building.

The worm bin will allow leachate from the worms to eat to add natural fertilizer to the indoor plants within the garden.

The garden has indoor varieties that add color and shape, integrating with the custom sculptural bags.

Various materials and processes were explored to allow the bags to remain moist and cool during hot summers and to keep all living worms and plants happy.

Interior of the space where the Machine Garden will integrate itself with the artificial and natural lungs of the building.

Special Thanks to the Director of IMRC Gene Felice and the University of Maine for this invitation and commission.

1. Wolverton, B., Bounds, K., w. (1989) A study of interior landscape Plants for Indoor Air Pollution Abat

ElectrOasis is designed to harvest sunlight and available discarded natural resources such as paper and green waste to create energy, food, communications hubs, and places for researchers and scholars to connect to the web.  An oasis is a special place in the desert where life-giving water and shade can be found, though it is also a fertile patch in a desert occurring where the water table approaches or reaches the ground surface. An oasis is also a place of peace, safety, and happiness, sometimes amid trouble or difficulty.

This ElectrOasis will provide shade, freshwater, and plant life. ElectrOasis will evolve and extend the oasis notion by constructing a place where water will be collected from moist air, and fresh fish will be grown to fertilize edible vegetables. Power generation from daylight solar driving a small turbine will allow internet connectivity and the creation of interior lighting to empower reading, knowledge generation, and peace.

It will be where information and web connectivity will allow locals and visitors to have connectivity and agency in a world, especially for educational experiences surrounding green technologies.

This ElectrOasis project empowers all to use what is at hand and conflates high technologies and ancient wisdom in new ways. It allows common materials, like pipes, sand, car parts (generators), solar collectors, water, tilapia fish, and green waste (paper, vegetable, meat discards, and animal waste), in an integrative and systemic way.

These integrated systems can function in deserts where sunlight and water are scarce in urban environments. It can also be adapted for any region where people are abundant with massive needs, though materials and infrastructure are lacking.

Growing Fish: Aquaponics

For over 5000 years, the Egyptians were known for their aquaponic farming, and for thousands of years, tilapia were grown in fish farms in the Nile delta.

With ElectrOasis we will re-introduce tilapia farming as a primary source of creating protein for human consumption and relaxed, peaceful viewing.

Nile Tilapia are distinctive with regular, vertical stripes extending as far down the body as the bottom edge of the caudal fin, with variable coloration. Adults reach up to 60 cm (24 in) in length and up to 4.3 kg (9.5 lb.). Tilapia live for up to 9 years and can tolerate brackish water, and survive in temperatures between 8 – 42 °C (46 – 108 °F). Tilapias are omnivorous and feed on plankton as well as on higher plants. In recent research done in Kenya, this fish has been shown to feed on mosquito larvae, making it a possible tool in the fight against malaria in Africa, though; for this project, we are going to create a black soldier fly farm to automatically feed the tilapia.

I have successfully implemented aquaponics systems in three past projects in collaboration with Amy Youngs.

Two were indoor systems in urban environments, and one was in a desert region of Portugal.

Please refer to the Farm Fountain and Solar Farm Fountain. The Farm Fountain won a Green Leaf Award from the United Nations Office of Environment in 2008.

The tilapia will reside inside the tank below the dome in this installation. The tank will be 300-500 gallons giving the ability to grow 230 Tilapia at one time. 230 tilapia can create quite a bit of fish waste. The great thing is that fish waste makes some of the best fertilizers on the planet when combined with nitrifying and denitrifying bacteria. All the fish waste from this system will be pumped into cleansing beds filled with plants and bacteria, and this will serve to cleanse and return the water to the tilapia tank.

Growing Organic Vegetables: Food

Flow-through systems will be implemented around the periphery of the dome on the interior to maximize available fish and bacterial nutrients by orienting the grow beds so that pumping water to one height will effectively water all plants.

Plants will be chosen to provide maximum growth given the region’s sun cycles and primary crops. Areas for shade and areas for more sun will be implemented using screening materials on the interior of the dome.

Microprocessors will be used to monitor water/soil PH and allow varying amounts of fertilizing inputs or not, given the plant’s needs.

Typical recipes rely on the herbs; parsley, cilantro, mint, basil, rosemary, oregano, bay leaves, and thyme, and spices like garlic, anise, saffron, cinnamon, caraway, coriander, cumin, fennel, fenugreek, ginger, white pepper, black pepper, red pepper, and cloves will be tested in the system. Vegetables such as onions, bell peppers, carrots, chickpeas, tomatoes, capers, celery, turnips, potatoes, chili peppers, cucumbers, and eggplants will be explored as suitable for the growth beds.

The benefit for the human visitors will be the sound of cleansed water trickling as it reenters the main tank, creating a relaxing, focused aspect of experiencing the space.

Growing Power: Energy/Knowledge

For some time, concentrated solar has been an effective method of generating power in desert regions. With the generation of steam to drive turbines, this proposed system will allow a low-cost/maintenance solution and entrance into power generation without massive cash outlay.

NUR Energy has been working with concentrated solar with their most recent large-scale installations in Tunisia. They have developed the world’s first CSP solar export project between North Africa and Europe. It is located in the Sahara desert and has a solar radiation level of 2500 kWh/m2 annually.

Sill, concentrated solar can be achieved with materials such as low-tech mylar sheets pulled into parabolic solar lens concentrators with vacuums layered into the garbage can tops and then creating a vacuum to create the parabolic. What is essential here is the knowledge… and ElectrOasis will be the repository for that knowledge, for how to grow food and excel, given the natural resources adequately funneled through advanced technologies and methodologies to successfully implement these integrated systems.

For this proposal, we have selected a solar concentrator manufactured out of polished aluminum for durability.

What is important here is that the solutions and integration of these technologies are scalable. More or less advanced manifestations of the ideas are possible, given the desire for a generation of power, water collection, and food growing.

What will we do with that solar?

We will use standard pipes at the apex of the solar concentrator to create steam. The steam will drive a revolutionary turbine called the TESLA Turbine, which will be attached to a standard car alternator to generate power. The pipes that distribute this steam will be standard pipes used for cars, such as brake lining pipes designed for extreme temperatures and pressures for safety.

Deep-cycle marine batteries (power storage) with existing power generators (car generators) are available in any country. They will allow the system to provide light and water pumping during the hours that the sun is not shining.

Where existing solar cell technologies are affordable and available, these methods are also possible; i.e., using solar concentrators also shining on solar cells. High-tech and efficient LED technologies will be implemented inside the dome and focused on the seating area to create light in the evening for reading and learning about green technologies.

Part of this project will be to create a web page devoted to green energy solutions in water collection, production of steam, ways of using the steam to generate power, and methods of growing food using organic and recycling means such as aquaponics and vermiponics. This can be an ongoing open-source project seeking local community input and connecting to worldwide web resources. Any desert region or place with adequate sunlight can be a possible site for the project with unique flora, fauna, and cultural landscape knowledge that will be distilled and propagated as to best practices given local environmental factors.

Another option to get water to flow uphill is the ram pump as it is simple and able to pump water uphill.

Recycling Waste/Feeding Fish: Vermiponics and Black Soldier Flies

Using controlled methods of introducing green waste, worms would be fed paper and food scraps to allow for the production of soil and plant fertilizers. These systems will be integrated with the river as a model, where water that comes directly from the waste of fish would be pumped into gravity-fed systems starting with marsh-like conditions where fish solid waste would be denitrified by bacterial cultures, as it progressively flows through cleaner and cleaner containers also feeding organic vegetables.

The fish waste is turned into the best fertilizer the plants would want to consume and, in the process, sets up a symbiotic space where fish, plants, bacteria, worms, and humans benefit from each other.

An additional technology to be implemented will be black soldier fly harvesting zones. These are beneficial as the grubs the black soldier flies birth is the ideal food for tilapia. Black soldier flies also consume more food waste than red wiggler worms.

While the thought of flies may seem gross, they are the ideal solution to not overfishing our oceans (normal food for aquaponic farms). They don’t carry diseases, they cannot bite, or sting and experts report their voracious appetites for eating compost scraps (including pet waste) and eliminating most food scraps in 24 – 36 hours.

They also prevent houseflies and blowflies from laying eggs in the material inhabited by black soldier fly larvae. The fantastic thing about the soldier fly larva is that once they are born, they have an innate ability to crawl up an incline of 35 degrees, and this will be exploited in the design where a gradient is created in the waste reprocessing boxes and that waste stream, will have a direct pipe feeding into the tilapia tank. This system empowers biology to do what it does best.

One of the challenges of growing food in a desert is the creation of fertile soil. New land doesn’t have organic matter, so you must build it up with compost, and the worms and soldier flies will be part of that natural process.

Efficient evaporative coolers integrated into the system will maximize the creation of mini Oases for the worms, the flies, and the fish.

The UNC Institute for the environment http://www.ie.unc.edu/for_students/courses/capstone/13/bsfl_how-to_guide.pdf “Temperature The optimal temperature at which BSFL consumes their food is around 95 °F. The minimum temperature for survival is 32 °F for no more than four hours, whereas the maximum temperature is 113 °F. The larvae become inactive at temperatures less than 50 °F and above 113 °F.

The best range of temperature for the larvae to pupate is from 77 to 86 °F. The optimal temperature for mating is around 82 °F (Zhang, 2010).

Diet BSFL can tolerate a widely varied diet. The BSFL feeds on many kinds of organic waste, such as table scraps, composting feed, and animal manure. They can also survive off of coffee grounds for a few weeks, but coffee grounds are not a sustainable diet. The caffeine from the coffee grounds helps to boost the metabolism and makes the grubs more active. A diet combining kitchen scraps and coffee grounds may help to boost their metabolism.

The BSFL has a limited ability to process animal products such as meat and fat. Humidity Black soldier fly larvae develop most rapidly at 70 percent humidity.

The rate of weight loss for the BSFL increases with decreasing humidity. The optimal humidity for black soldier fly mating is around 30 to 90 percent.

It is very important to monitor humidity for captive rearing and breeding. We found that it is especially important to keep the grubs’ feeding medium at a proper moisture level—not so dry that it cements the grubs into the feed and not so wet that they cannot breathe through the pores in their exoskeleton. In additional environmental conditions, BSFL does not survive well in direct light or extremely dry or wet conditions. They prefer to be 8- 9 inches deep in their food source. They will perform little bioconversion if they are too far below the surface. Female flies avoid anaerobic sites when trying to lay eggs.”

Another consideration is to use Nannochloropsis, which is a food additive for human nutrition and is also served at Restaurants. A 2020 study suggests it could be used for sustainable fish-free feed for farmed fish.^[1]

Growing Thirst: Water Collection

Using the biomimetic design, I have also designed water collecting mesh systems into the dome that allows collecting water from fog in the desert. The Carapace and Namib beetles, native to the Namib desert of southern Africa, are known to pull water from the air. We will use multiple layers of stainless steel mesh that roll around the dome structure in the evenings to collect the moisture in the philosophy common in this region of Tunisia, to collect and funnel that back into the main tilapia fish tank as the curtains will hang above the filtration tanks and fall into the cleansing stream.

The system’s efficacy will depend on the size of the filaments in the nets, the size of the holes between the filaments, and the coating applied to the filaments.

Research done at MIT indicates stainless-steel filaments about three or four times the thickness of a human hair and spaced at twice the distance between fibers are optimal.

Further research indicates a yield of a few liters of drinking water per day for each square meter of mesh deployed.  As curtains on the structure are possible and given the openings in the system, we would estimate we can collect 6-12 liters of water per evening in this fashion. These screens can be deployed in the evenings for fog collection of water or in the day for more shade when temperatures hit extremes.

We will use inexpensive Arduino Microcontrollers in parallel to monitor many subsystems, such as water pumping with solid-state relays, maintaining interior temperatures with sensors, and controlling high-efficiency LED lighting for evening illumination.

Growing Structures: Architecture

Research into traditional Tunisian architecture determines the methods of building the structures to house the solar collection systems, aquaponics, vermiponics, and veggie growing beds. Vaulted adobe buildings reinforced with concrete will create covered areas for fish and plants with semi-shade.

One possible method to build the dome would be to use mounded earth moistened with water, covered with plastic, and make the structure on top of the mound. Once the adobe or reinforced concrete is cured, the mound is removed, leaving the dome structure shell.

There are many methods of building the structure, and another one that could be employed is the earth-bag, where bags function as large coil pots that progressively wind around the system. http://earthbagbuilding.com/projects/thailand.htm

An additional method that may be explored is using plastic bottles to create plastic bottle structures. This method has been successfully used worldwide where building materials are scarce though waste plastic bottles are plentiful. The technique is labor-intensive and would require many participants to allow it to happen.

A rounded seating area will allow locals to sit and watch the fish, monitor the system, provide shade, and a place for reading at night and connecting to the web for further research and political agency in learning. In parts of the world where building materials are scarce, existing structures can house aquaponics and plant-growing areas. Concrete recycling can also be explored as a means of getting materials that are readily at hand from destroyed buildings.

For this project, the team focused on developing a robust power generation with the TESLA Turbine. However, the Tesla turbine is not the only way to power this system. Solar cells with solar concentrators would also be suitable. Tesla turbines have been built with high-tech laser cutting or as low-tech as recycling metal hard disks from discarded computers.

Methodology

Professor Rinaldo worked with engineering interns who were able to actualize his designs. This turbine was tested with compressed air, though it will be powered by steam generated by linear solar concentrators.

The optimal turbine design lies in synthesizing efficiency, reliability, and feasibility. The team performs preliminary design analysis to establish the plan based on efficiency computationally. Previous experimental works have determined factors such as distance between the micro-turbine disks, number, and diameter of the micro-turbine disks, the number of inlet nozzles to the micro-turbine, and rotational speed of the rotor affect the efficiency of the turbine [2]. In particular, we will be concentrating on measuring isentropic efficiency. This parameter measures the degree of degradation of energy in a steady-flow device. It involves comparing the actual performance of the device and the performance that would be achieved under idealized circumstances for the same inlet and exit states. [3]

The team aims to explore how these mechanical design considerations can be adapted to ensure long-term reliability while employing readily available, cost-efficient materials. This will aid in our goal of constructing the turbine in a manner that caters to future production.

In similar systems, heat transfer fluids such as oils or molten salts are heated in linear troughs. These fluids then boil water that flows in a conventional steam-turbine generator [4]. Our team intends to explore the possibility of solar concentration allowing for significant design simplification. I believe these modifications are a better method of powering a turbine for low-power applications as they have few moving parts and can be manufactured more quickly. First, it is less costly due to fewer required storage and heating tanks. Furthermore, the modifications allow the team to employ an elementary energy storage system attuned to low-power applications consisting of a car alternator and deep-cycle car battery, making this system accessible to poor communities.

Power production is the ultimate goal of this project, and thus the discovery of the maximum output wattage is critical. For this, turbine testing can follow in the footsteps of the experiments conducted by Vincent Domenic Romanin in his dissertation Theory and Performance of Tesla Turbines though this is not yet complete. Output power, battery capacity, and the power requirement of the electrical consumers must be matched to ensure sufficient current is supplied to the electrical system in all operating conditions and that the battery is always adequately charged [5]. This will be primarily answered during the validation of our design.

Creation of Specifications and Requirements

The ElectrOasis team went through an intense preliminary design phase to bridge the concept to CAD design gap. The early project configurations were conceptualized and defined as schematics, diagrams, and layouts of the project were completed. Specifications were chosen based on materials that will be robust and readily available to others wishing to replicate this design. Requirements include but are not limited to: the cost of purchase and repair of the turbine, size and overall dimensions of the power systems housing, ease of operation and repair, and reliability of the turbine.

Creation of Design Concepts 

The team has worked over the past two weeks to produce a complete working drawing set of the design concept in SolidWorks. First individual parts were created with careful consideration of future construction difficulties. The details were toleranced with attention to the particular fit (i.e., clearance fit, transition fit, or interference fit). Next, the elements were combined into an assembly to understand how they function together. Examples from the drawing set can be found below in Figure 3.

The team has met with mechanical engineering professor Prasad Mokashi to investigate computational fluid dynamic analysis in ANSYS. This simulation software will allow the team to predict, with confidence, the impact of fluid flows on the turbine—throughout design and manufacturing as well as during end-use.

Solution Design/Creation of Prototype

This design phase consisted of the fabrication of the turbine. The team will send the parts to Allfab Incorporated for advanced fabrication processes to be machined. This design phase will show the group how the proposed solution will function in “real life” and how it interacts with real-world environmental constraints. It will provide the basis for future testing and will be representative of performance.

Testing/Validation of Design

In the final stage of the process, the team will evaluate the performance of the created turbine. We will be able to get an actual power estimate and extrapolate that to predict what the system will be capable of powering once implemented in Tunisia.

Testing will occur in three primary stages. First, we will conduct compressed air tests to calculate torque and RPM values as air pressure functions. This testing will be independent of the solar concentration and indicate the turbine’s performance. Next, the team will conduct prolonged steam testing to evaluate long-term concerns such as warping in the turbine. Finally, steam testing with the alternator and battery will ensure the system is closed and gauge the net power output.

Qualifications

The power systems production team comprises Professor Ken Rinaldo overseeing  Colin Trussa, Anthony Huang, and Yizhou Lu. As Mechanical and Aerospace engineering students, they/we have access to extensive research databases, laboratory equipment, and modeling software. Our combined skill-sets and backgrounds provided an excellent basis for this project’s mechanical design and implementation and the TESLA Turbine in particular. Our team consists of three other essential members, Associate Professor Amy Youngs (Art: Art & Technology), an expert in aquaponics and vermiponic Gardening, and myself (Bio-artist, robotics art) working with Jeremy Viny, an Art student studying green technologies, and Monica Backs Environmental Engineering student, researching plants.

Additional plant Research:

General information:

http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/Africa/Tunisia-AGRICULTURE.html

Olives, grapes, wheat, barley, peppers, dates, peppers, and potatoes are the primary produce grown in Northern Tunisia. Since we are trying to grow the plants indoors, with a system that will allow us to keep the soil moderately moist, I believe we will have a wide range of plants to choose from.

Barley:

http://www.sare.org/Learning-Center/Books/Managing-Cover-Crops-Profitably-3rd-Edition/Text-Version/Nonlegume-Cover-Crops/Barley

http://www.aglime.org.uk/tech/crop_requirements.php

Barley is excellent at preventing soil erosion, suppressing weeds, “scavenging” for excess nutrients, and adding organic matter to the soil. Barley is also widely mixed with other crops because it can serve as topsoil and protect the plants with which it grows during drought. Barley doesn’t grow well in waterlogged soil and seems to do very well on light, droughty earth with a higher sand and clay content. Its roots can grow to be up to 6.5 feet deep. Barley prefers soil with a pH range from 6.5-7.5.

Pros:

• Intercropping barley increases the amount of N absorbed by barley and returned to the soil in barley residue. It also shows increased amounts of P and K recycling.
• It can grow in drier climates.
• Can protect other plants within the ElectrOasis.

Cons:

• Establishes deep root systems- do we have the room?
• Usually planted in large quantities/ requires a large surface area.

Potatoes:

https://www.sproutabl.com/gardening/vegetables/potatoes/

http://www.almanac.com/plant/potatoes

http://www.bettervegetablegardening.com/fertilizing-potatoes.html

Potatoes grow better in cooler climates and out of direct sunlight. They thrive in well-drained but consistently moist soil. Potatoes plants prefer acidic soil and can be damaged by “Potato Scab” when soil pH is too basic. The maximum growing pH is 6.5, with careful observation to prevent Potato Scab.

Pros:

• Enjoy constant moisture that could easily be provided within the ElectrOasis.
• Enjoy nitrogen-rich soil, and usually not at the expense of the vegetables.
• Relatively short roots (~24 inches)

Cons:

• Recommended to plant them 1 foot apart.
• Require “hilling” as they mature to prevent sunburn.
• It is advised to practice “crop rotation,” meaning they could not constantly be replanted within the ElectrOasis.

Tomatoes:

http://www.almanac.com/plant/tomatoes

Tomatoes prefer at least 6 hours of sunlight per day as they grow. Well-drained soil is necessary for the success of a tomato plant. Tomatoes prefer loamy soil with a more acidic pH.

Pros:

• Thrives in acidic soil, similar to potatoes.
• Healthy plants produce ample vegetation.
• Root systems can be fairly shallow (~18 inches).

Cons:

• They need to be staked as they grow to support the weight of the plant.
• Require a decent amount of sunlight.
• Too much nitrogen within the soil can cause the plant to grow much larger at the expense of the fruit (large plant with no tomatoes).

Bell Peppers:

http://www.almanac.com/plant/bell-peppers

Bell peppers prefer neutral soil and full exposure to the sun. They grow best in warm environments (+70 degrees F). These plants prefer moist but well-drained soil.

Pros:

• Grow best in warm environments.
• Vegetable contains a significant Vitamin C content.

Cons:

• They need to be staked as they grow to support the weight of the plant.
• Require direct exposure to sunlight.
• Too much nitrogen within the soil can cause the plant to grow much more significantly at the expense of the fruit (large plant with no peppers).

The most successful path for water purification with these four plants would be potatoes, tomatoes, and bell peppers.

http://www.conservationevidence.com/actions/719

It is proven that potatoes have a higher yield while rotated with Barley… Is it possible that we could make it work? Regardless, most of the vegetation used in Tunisian cooking requires much attention during their youth.

Spices and Herbs:

Parsley:

http://www.almanac.com/plant/parsley

Pros:

• High in Vitamins C and A.
• Prefers soil at a temperature of 70 degrees F or higher.
• Proven to have symbiotic growth with tomatoes. Plant this near tomato!
• Loamy soil.

Cons:

• Requires even watering and often.
• Grow best in rich soil full of organic matter; this may be an issue for the plants as the ElectrOasis is in its early stages.

Mint:

http://www.almanac.com/plant/mint

Pros:

• It grows well near tomatoes!
• Aromatic, calming smell.
• Minimal care is usually required.
• Loamy soil.

Cons:

• It can take over an entire garden due to the spreading root system.
• Requires even watering.

Basil:

http://www.almanac.com/plant/basil

Pros:

• Loamy soil.
• Easy to grow; it requires soil above 70 degrees F.
• It grows well near tomatoes!

Cons:

• Need to be planted about 10 to 12 inches apart.
• Require constant moisture.

Thyme:

http://www.almanac.com/plant/thyme

Pros:

• Likes sandy to loamy soil.
• Has a pleasant fragrance.
• Small; it only grows 6-12 inches in height,

Cons:

• Difficult to grow.
• Requires a lot of pruning and attention.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tunisian_cuisine#Ingredients

Typical Recipes rely on:

Herbs: parsley, cilantro, mint, basil, rosemary, oregano, bay leaves, and thyme.

Spices: garlic, anise, saffron, cinnamon, caraway, coriander, cumin, fennel, fenugreek, ginger, white pepper, black pepper, red pepper, and cloves.

Vegetables: onions, bell peppers, carrots, chickpeas, tomatoes, capers, celery, turnips, potatoes, chili peppers, cucumbers, and eggplants.

References

1.) Causes of Aridity and Geography of the World’s Deserts. Retrieved October 16, 2015

2.) Lampart, P., Kosowski, K., Piwowarski, M., & Jędrzejewski, Ł. (2009). Design analysis of Tesla micro-turbine operating on a low-boiling medium. Polish Maritime Research

3.) Huang, M., & Gramoll, K. (n.d.). Thermodynamics eBook. Retrieved October 18, 2015.

4.) Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) Technology. (n.d.). Retrieved October 16, 2015.

5.) Alternators. (2007). In Bosch automotive electrics and electronics: Systems and components, networking and hybrid drive (5^th ed.). Plochingen: SpringerVieweg.

6.) Romanin, V. (2012). Theory and Performance of Tesla Turbines.

7.) Brownson, J. (2014). Solar energy conversion systems. Oxford: Academic Press.

8.) ENGR 1281.03H Lecture 37: Engineering Design Process. (2014). Retrieved October 18, 2015.

9.) DESERTEC Foundation: Technologies. (2015). Retrieved October 10, 2015.

10.) 2015 World Hunger and Poverty Facts and Statistics by WHES. (n.d.). Retrieved October 18, 2015.

11.) Chandler, D. (2012, August 6). Bringing power to the people – and heat as well. Retrieved October 18, 2015.

By moving about, they choose to interact with their environment, as well as other Siamese fighting fish and humans, within the installation. These Siamese Fighting fish can also see clearly beyond their glass bowls, thanks to their control over their fish tanks.

These works premiered and were commissioned by the European Capital of Culture, Lille, France, in 2004, under the direction of Richard Castelli.

In an article entitled “Learning in Fishes” (Fish and Fisheries, 2003, vol. 4), editors Dr. Kevin N. Laland, Culum Brown, and Jens Krause discuss revisions in thinking about fish intelligence, which seem much more significant than was formerly imagined. Fish are “steeped in social intelligence.” The article reports that fish employ “Machiavellian strategies of manipulation, punishment, and reconciliation” while exhibiting “cultural” traditions and cooperation to evade predators and secure food. Fish track the relationships of other fish in their environment and even monitor the social prestige of different fish.

Fish build nests (such as the Siamese fighting fishes’ bubble nests to attract mates) and exhibit “impressive long-term memories.”

Each robotic fishbowl in Augmented Fish Reality has four accurate infrared sensors. As each fish swims in front of the sensors, it activates the microcontroller, which in turn activates the motorized wheels of each fish vehicle. The sensors enable the fish to control the robot’s movement forward and backward, as well as to turn it left or right.

Humans interact with the work simply by entering the environment, which often draws the fish’s gaze. Still, it is essential that these robots are under fish control (interactive art for animals), and the fish will choose to approach and/or move away from human participants whenever they wish.

Siamese fighting fish are top breathers, so they are comfortable in these fish bowls as they take gulps of air from the surface to obtain enough oxygen, and these bowls, are excellent long-term habitats since they have a large area of water in contact with oxygen.

This living environment also includes peace lily plants that absorb and thrive on the fish waste, and in turn, provide oxygen to the fish. Stones in each tank make the fish’s world more natural, friendly, and complex. There are both male and female fighting fish, and the robots are designed so that the fish can get within 1/4 inch of each other for visual communication.Additional elements to this interactive installation include small lipstick video cameras mounted at forty-five-degree angles under one of the bowls, which project images onto the gallery walls from the fish’s perspective.

Additional elements to this interactive installation are small lipstick video cameras mounted on forty-five-degree angles under two of the fishbowls that project images onto the gallery walls of the interior of the tanks showing the fish’s perspective.

During presentations, many ask, “Do the fish discover the interface?” I respond that I have yet to ask them, although the fish certainly do move the tanks around.

he issue of this being random or not is, for me, irrelevant. The main problem is asking the question, acknowledging that fish are intelligent and, given more research, can and will be integrated into an interface.

Each successive stage of this project will continue to evolve the first fish-controlled robots, the Augmented Fish Reality.

I believe that we will eventually break down inter-animal barriers more effectively by analyzing animal behavior, motivations, and communication strategies using statistical vision systems and computers.

We will be able to decode their behaviors through animal communication and environmental interaction, which will be exciting as it also reveals things about the human-animal relationship.Letters from Dr. Culum Brown, a leading fish researcher, suggest that he is convinced that if the fish grow up in this environment, they may learn to use the interface, especially if rewarded with food.
Currently, the only reward the fish get is the social interaction of meeting each other across the gap between the glass and seeing other viewers.
Their environments are complex and rewarding. Robots are very good at sensing and responding to the actions of fish and humans.

This is now being researched using AI through a group called Interspecies Internet.

Letters from Dr. Calum Brown, a leading fish researcher, suggest that he is convinced that if the fish grow up in this environment, they will learn to use the interface, especially if rewarded with food.

Currently, the only reward the fish get is the social interaction of meeting each other across the gap between the glass and seeing other viewers.

Their environments are complex and rewarding.

Robots are very good at sensing and responding to fish and human actions.

EXHIBITIONS

LUMOS GALLERY, Columbus, Ohio, 2014
3 robots of Augmented Fish Reality Invited by Kayla & Nick Davis
MAISON d’AILLEURS, MUSEUM OF SCIENCE FICTION, UTOPIA & EXTRAORDINARY JOURNEYS  Yverdon-Les-Bains, Switzerland Sept-Mar 2010-11 Augmented Fish Reality. Invited by Director Patrick Gyger. Catalog produced
CONTEMPORARY ART CENTER WINZAVOD Moscow, Russia, March –April 2009
Artist documentary about The Augmented Fish Reality. Invited by curator Dmitry Bulatov.
THIRD MOSCOW BIENNALE Moscow, Russia, Sept 2009-Nov.-2009
Evolution Haute Couture:  Art and Science in the Post-Biological Age. Artist documentary about The Augmented Fish Reality. Invited by curator Dmitry Bulatov.
NATIONAL CENTRE FOR CONTEMPORARY ARTS Kaliningrad, Russia, July 2008
Evolution Haute Couture: Art and Science in the Post-Biological Age Presenting Artist documentary about The Augmented Fish Reality. Invited by Dmitry Bulatov
IX MEDIAFORUM 2008 MOSCOW INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL Moscow, Russia, June 23-26 2008
Evolution Haute Couture: Art and Science in the Post-Biological Age Presenting Artist documentary about The Augmented Fish Reality. Invited by curator Dmitry Bulatov, co-curator Olga Shishko
PURDUE UNIVERSITY GALLERIES West Lafayette, Indiana. Mar 3 –Apr. 20, 2008
The Autotelematic Spider Bots, Augmented Fish Reality, Our Daily Dread, Farm Fountain, and Machinic Diatoms. Invited by curator Craig Martin. Catalog produced.
CENTRO NACIONAL DE LAS ARTES Mexico City, Mexico, October 13 to 19, 2007
Transitio_MX Festival Internacional de Artes Electronicas Y Video features the Augmented Fish Reality installation. 02 Invited and curated by 060 Daniela Wolf
WORLD OCEAN MUSEUM Kaliningrad, Russia. Sep. 2006
Augmented Fish Reality curated by Dmitry Bulatov.
MUSKINGUM COLLEGE, CALDWELL HALL Muskingum, Ohio. Apr. 2006
Augmented Fish Reality & AutoTelematic Spider Bots curated by Ken McCollum. Invited.
MEDIA ARTS MADRID AT THE CONDE DUQUE CULTURAL CENTRE Madrid, Spain. January 18^th to 20^th February 2005
“Banquet communication in evolution” exhibition. Display Augmented Fish Reality curated by Karin Ohlenschläger and Luis Rico. Invited
GALERIA ANTÓNIO PRATES Lisbon, Portugal. Sep. 23, 2005
Five robots of Augmented Fish Reality curated by Leonel Moura. Invited
OK CENTRUM FOR CONTEMPORARY ART, ARS ELECTRONICA Linz, Austria. Sep. Nov. 17, 2004
CyberArts 2004 juried exhibition. Award of Distinction in the Interactive Arts Category. Displayed three robots of Augmented Fish Reality.
BIENNALE ELECTRONIC ARTS Perth, Australia. Sep. 7^th – Nov.17, 2004
Bio Difference exhibition curated by Oron Catts and Ionatt Zurr. Displayed three robots of Augmented Fish Reality. Invited. MUSEO DE ARTE DE CALDAS, IV INTERNATIONAL IMAGE FESTIVAL CALDAS UNIVERSITY Manizales, Colombia. Nov. 2004
Three robots of Augmented Fish Reality and present a paper on my work. Workshop on Basic Stamp 2. Invited
LILLE INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL Lille, France. Dec. 2003 – Mar. 2004
The premiere of the five robots of Augmented Fish Reality commission, Mediated Encounters, and Autopoiesis, as part of an exhibit on robotic art curated, commissioned, and Invited by Richard Castelli.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Artist Writing

ANTENNAE, The Journal of Nature in Visual Culture, Ken Rinaldo, and Culum Brown – The Social Intelligence of Fish, by Ken Rinaldo

Books

Bioart Theory of Bioart By Pan Ca pg 60 Augmented Fish Reality
INSIDE Arte E Ciência 2009, Lisbon, Portugal, edited by Leonel Moura, 2009, Paparazzi Bots, by Ken Rinaldo. Pg 202-207
Art and Science: How Scientific Research and Technological Innovation are becoming key to 21st Century Aesthetics, Thames and Hudson, by Steven Wilson, 162, 111, 129 2010
DO ROBOTS DREAM OF SPRING? – The Art of Ken Rinaldo at the Maison d’Ailleurs. Retrospective with forward by Bruce Sterling and Patrick Gyger. Yverdon-Les-Bains: September 19, 2010, to March 20, 2011
Art & Animals Giovanni Aloi, LB Taurus and Co. 2012, Pg 108-109

Catalogs

Lille France Robots Show curated by Richard Castelli, 2004
ARS ELECTRONICA Linz, Cyberarts Catalog, for Award of Distinction for Augmented Fish Reality.
Bioart A New Kind of Art Group Exhibition curated by Leonel Moura at Antonio Prates Gallery

Reviews

Umbigo Magazine, The Spring Dreams of Ken Rinaldo by Mariana Machado, 12/11/13
Neoplastic Design pgs 16 mentions Augmented Fish Reality work by an Arzumanyan
Do Robots Dream of Spring? Ken Rinaldo exhibit at the Swiss Museum of Science Fiction September 21, 2010, by  Nicolas Nova.
Технологии в фокусе искусства: очарование и вызов промышленности и инновации, Иннопром-2011 pgs 21 & 66 Augmented Fish Reality
Jueves, La Patria, El Periodicio de Casa, Interes Por La Technolgia review of Augmented Fish Reality at Museo de Arte de Caldas Nov. 11, 2004
Jalouse Magazine, Russia: http://www.jalouse.ru coverage of Augmented Fish Reality, Nov. issue http://www.jalouse.ru
The Australian, Put on the lab coats, bring on the clones by Victoria review of BioDifference show and Augmented Fish Reality by Laurie Oct. 01, 2004
Realtime Magazine, “The gallery reconfigured: BioDifference: The Political Ecology “by Tony Reck, review of Biodifference and Augmented Fish Reality, 2004.
DerStandard.at Germany, review of CyberArts Exhibition and Augmented Fish Reality by Markus Mittringer 3.9.2004
Art TV Magazine, Kenneth Rinaldo: Augmented Fish Reality – eine Installation mit Fischen und Robotern für geduldige und ungeduldige Besucher, 3 pages, by Jen Hauser

COLLECTIONS

Laser Reproductions Inc. Ohio Collection Augmented Fish Reality & 1 Autotelematic Spider-bot 2006

The Parallax Corporation, California  Augmented Fish Reality robot 2004

Design and Concept: Ken Rinaldo
Electronic Design and microcontroller programming: Ken Rinaldo
3D modeling visualizations: George Faerber
Metal Fabrication: AllFab Inc. Columbus, Ohio Russel Roth Jr/Sr

Lettuce

While balancing, it can explore its environment beyond the limits of the tank. Why a Siamese Fighting fish on a wire?

Well as an apparent reference to the challenges that fish and other living creatures are experiencing in trying to sustain themselves on a planet overwhelmed by human habitation.

Siamese Fighting fish were chosen in particular given their aggressive inbreeding for purposes of beauty and, sadly, fighting as well as the fact they are top breathers and come up for air.

Bettas have excellent sight, allowing them to see far outside the tank.

I wanted to give this Betta Splendons (Siamese fighting fish) the ability to virtually leave the tank by moving it back and forth along the wire and this interspecies artwork gave them control to explore their environment.

The water is heated to the natural comfort level of the fish, a tropical 78-80 degrees Fahrenheit. The fish determines the direction by crossing a break – beam which activates the motor to move the tank in the direction the fish looks to the outside world.

A mounted rearview mirror on a tower at one end of the tightwire allows the fish to look at himself and contemplate himself and “others.”

Does the fish recognize his image or think it is an opposing male? I believe it may realize its image as passing the mirror test. However, that will take more research. At this point, the fish flares its gills, indicating it believes it is looking at an opposing male Siamese Fighting Fish.

While the fish can move on the tightwire back and forth, this is not a choice at all. It is a polemical space, a tight wire balancing act that speaks to a delicate environmental balance in danger.

Can we feel the delicate beauty of this living being and acknowledge its right to exist, and show sensitivity to its right to some unmitigated self-determination?

The questions begun in this project led to the Augmented Fish Reality, the second fish drive project created on the planet, which premiered in 2003 at The Ohio State University.

Exhibitions

UKRAINIAN INSTITUTE OF MODERN ART, Chicago, Illinois. May 1999
Second Nature Exhibition curated by Paul Hertz. Displayed Delicate Balance, robotic fish tank.

HOPKINS HALL GALLERY, OHIO STATEColumbus, Ohio. Sep. 1998
New Works Faculty Exhibition. Displayed Delicate Balance, Genetic Blueprint, and Message Slough from the Dis-M-Body exhibition.

NORTHERN ILLINOIS UNIV. ART MUSEUM Chicago, Illinois.Sep.1997 Inter-Penetration Exhibition curated by Julie Charmelo. Displayed Delicate Balance robotic fish tank.

BLASTHAUS GALLERY, San Francisco, California. Sep. 1995 Tech-BashExhibition curated by William Linn. Displayed Meter Devils Heart and delicate Balance.

V2 DUTCH ELECTRONICA ART FESTIVAL Rotterdam, Holland. Nov. 1995
Interface 95 Exhibition curated by Alex Adriaansens. Displayed Delicate Balance and The Flock, interactive robotic sculptures.

This project is a natural solution to local, sustainable agriculture, aquaculture, and recycling. It utilizes 2-liter plastic soda bottles as planters and continuously recycles the water in the system to create a symbiotic relationship between edible plants, fish, denitrifying bacteria, and humans.

The work creates a healthy indoor environment that provides oxygen and light to the humans and food. We are growing plants that include lettuces, cilantro, mint, basil, tomatoes, chives, parsley, mizuna, watercress, and tatsoi. Tilapia have been farmed for thousands of years in the Nile delta. While Farm Fountain is a functional artwork, it is also a philosophy that the artists wish to propagate.

The Tilapia fish in this work are also edible and are a variety that has been farmed for thousands of years in the Nile delta. Growing our own fish has also meant that we have had to confront the killing, cleaning of them ourselves.

While Farm Fountain is a functional sculpture it is also a philosophy that the artists wish to propagate. We have created illustrated instructions online to share our designs within an open-source philosophy.

Please visit our illustrated “How -To” pages http://farmfountain.com to see how we made our home version, which has been running continuously since 2007.  At present we have created five versions of the Farm Fountain.

We have moved our home version of Farm Fountain 3 into our “kitchen pantry”, which we are now calling our “Green Pantry”.

 We renovated this room to include a South-facing, sliding-glass window for optimal plant growth and have experimented more.

 Our fifth Farm Fountain is a solar-powered version, commissioned by Naturarte hotel and Cutivamos Cultura in Sao Luis Portugal in 2009. This eco-hotel is completely solar-powered and the plants growing in Farm Fountain 5 are used to feed hotel guests.

EXHIBITIONS

CHANGWONG SCULPTURE BIENNALE                                                                   Changwon, Korea, Oct 7th-Nov 20, 2022
Channel: Wave-Particle Duality Biennale invites The Farm Fountain video by Ken Rinaldo and Amy Youngs.  Invited by Cho Kwanyong, General Director

FAIR TO GO                                                                                                                      New Zealand, 2016
A television show on recycling plastics features the Farm Fountain by Ken Rinaldo and Amy Youngs. Invited by producer Reina Webster, producer and reporter.

CAPS Center for Applied Plant Sciences, The Ohio State University, Rightmire Hall April 29th, 2016
Presentation of the Farm Fountain and Cascading  Gardens project. Invited by Roxy Donnalyn and Joanna Gardner

NEW MEDIA GALLERY Strojarenska, Slovakia, 2012
Life Affairs, Bioart International Exhibition. The Farm Fountain video by Ken Rinaldo & Amy Youngs Invited by Martina Ivica.

NATIONAL MUSEUM OF CHINA                    Beijing China, June 2011
TRANS LIFE: MEDIA ART CHINA 2011 – INTERNATIONAL TRIENNIAL OF NEW MEDIA ART (group) The National Art Museum of China Beijing, China Invited by Curator Z

LA MAISON d’AILLEURS, MUSEUM OF SCIENCE FICTION, UTOPIA & EXTRAORDINARY JOURNEYS  Yverdon-les-Bains, Switzerland Sept-Mar 2010-11

PLATFORM 21                         Amsterdam, Holland, November 2009
Domesticated Wilderness displays The Farm Fountain Video Invited by curator Caroline Prices.

PURDUE UNIVERSITY GALLERIES West Lafayette, Indiana. Mar 3 –Apr. 20, 2008
The Autotelematic Spider Bots, Augmented Fish Reality, Our Daily Dread, Farm Fountain, and Machinic Diatoms. Invited by curator Craig Martin. Catalog produced.

TE PAPA TONGAREWA MUSEUM   Wellington, New Zealand June 4, 2008
Worldwide Premiere of Farm Fountain collaborative with Amy Youngs for World Environment Day (WED) invited by Randy Rosenberg around the theme of Visionary Tales of a Balanced Earth UNEP

Awards

The United Nations Environment Fund; Green Leaf Award for the Farm Fountain by Ken Rinaldo and Amy Youngs at the Te Papa Museum in New Zealand, 2008

HARDWARE/TECHNIQUE Design and 3D modeling: Ken Rinaldo and Amy Youngs
Construction: Ken Rinaldo and Amy Youngs
Hardware: Ken Rinaldo and Amy Youngs
Software: Ken Rinaldo
The brains and microcontrollers within the work functioned as a timer to activate the water to come on in cycles and is easily reprogrammable.
Metal Fabrication: AllFab Inc. Columbus Ohio Russel Roth Jr/Sr

SHOW DIMENSIONS

8 x 8 feet

KEYWORDS

food robot, aquaponics, hydroponics, tilapia, robotic art, fish, home vegetable growth

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Books

The Politics of The ImpureV2 Publishing, NAI Publishers, Farm Fountain, Ken Rinaldo and Amy Youngs
Art into Action, Text by Noa Jones. 
Curated by Randy Rosenberg, 2007
 
ISBN-13: 978-1-932771-77-0
DO ROBOTS DREAM OF SPRING? – The Art of Ken Rinaldo at the Maison d’Ailleurs. Retrospective with forward by Bruce Sterling and Patrick Gyger. Yverdon-les-Bains: September 19, 2010 to March 20, 2011

Reviews

Wired Magazine, Ken Rinaldo: Drone Eat Drone, American Scream BY BRUCE STERLING   02.06.14
Zibeline No 71 du 12/02/2014 pg 62 coverage of the Drone Eats Drone: Ameican Scream work in AntiAtlas of Borders Exhibition
Umbigo Magazine, The Spring Dreams of Ken Rinaldo by Mariana Machado, 12/11/13
ANTENNAE, The Journal of Nature in Visual Culture, Ken Rinaldo and Culum Brown – The Social Intelligence of Fish, by Ken Rinaldo

The idea for Farm Fountain, our original experiment in local, sustainable agriculture and recycling, began even earlier, as collaborative work was created at Pilchuck Glass School in 2005. Almost immediately, we realized that a glass, hydroponic garden, while formally beautiful, was not so practical. It was quite fragile, the clear glass promoted algae growth, and the plants needed to have nutrients added into their water stream.

When we received the invitation from Cultivamos Cultura from Directors Marta de Menezes and Luis Graca, we were ecstatic to finally get the chance to see if we could create a completely solar-powered version of our Farm Fountain.

In Columbus Ohio where we live, putting this project outside, where the sunlight could sustainably provide this energy, would only work in the summer since our winter climate would kill the plants and fish. We needed a better climate and the Alentejo region of Portugal has it.

The location of the Cultivamos Cultura residency, in the sunny, never-freezing agricultural area of Portugal was fortuitous, but even more so, was the particular focus this residency has on the challenging forms of eco-art and bio-art. We have discovered that working with living organisms and water inside galleries and museums is difficult since plants tend to like the natural light which is not what traditional artworks call for and therefore not what art spaces are designed to supply.

In conclusion, we feel that we were able to create a work of functional edible art and a place to imagine the future of sustainable agricultural practices. We were able to confirm that indeed the sun, which powers all, was also able to integrate well with technological systems in the creation of this garden. The knowledge that the hotel cooks are now using our natural herbs as garnishes and ingredients in the sandwiches they were creating for hotel guests made this experience rewarding beyond words.

Still, as with much of our work, the piece created ideas for future modifications we would like to make. What we learned from our Solar Farm Fountain has certainly influenced the ecosystem artworks we are each currently developing.

With the lingering question about where to get sustainable fish food, Amy Youngs began working with worms as possible protein sources and later employed them as the fertilizing agents directly. This new process, called vermi-ponics, is still very much in development but has promise as a way to use food waste as the main system input, rather than fish food.

These were implemented in our home Farm Fountain systems we had in our green pantry.

Since then Amy Youngs has developed a new garden called the Machine for Living Interdependently and Ken Rinaldo has developed new grow vertical bags that also implement worms as fertilizer sources for plants in his Cascading Gardens project.

There is much exciting research to do and we continue to evolve our designs for local sustainable agricultural systems.

EXHIBITION/COLLECTION

Nature Arte Hotel and Cultivamos Cultura Portugal Solar Farm Fountain in Collaboration with Amy Youngs 2009

The water pumping system makes this garden almost self-sustainable, and in winter, evaporation from the planters adds moisture back into heated buildings. The color of the bags is designed to absorb sunlight in the winter months and radiate heat back into the room, and in summer, when the sun is highest, the green plants shade the soft planters, and the soil stays cool for the health of the plant roots and humans.

In an outdoor version of the Cascading Gardens, they are designed to grow your edible vegetables while reprocessing green household food scraps with red wiggler worms. Rainwater is collected from roofs and funned into rain barrels, and solar-powered pumps lift the water to the top planters to cascade watering from planter to planter. Solar-powered microprocessors with moisture sensors constantly monitor the moisture level of the roots, and when the roots are dry, the watering pumps are activated.

These bags with plants serve as a vertical air filter removing toxins. Spider Plants (Chlorophytum comosum) can remove up to 560 µG/H of formaldehyde Xylene and toluene. English Ivy (Hdererea helix) that does wonderfully in these grow bags removes up to 579 µG/H of benzene, 402-1120 µG/H of trichloroethylene, as well as Xylene and Toluene. Golden Pothos (Philodendron cordatum) can remove up to 353 µG/H of formaldehyde. 1

With gravity, the rainwater drips from bag to bag, cleansing the water and feeding the edible vegetables. In the last bag of this garden, red wiggler worms can eat the kitchen scraps, while bacteria, sowbugs, springtails, and fungi further help to compost creating natural fertilizer for the vegetables.

As 17- percent of all global warming methane is produced by rotting food scraps in public dumps, this system helps to reduce global warming while feeding humans local, sustainable vegetables.

This project marks continued research toward sustainable solutions in creating food robots to feed people.

Above is a Cascading Garden in my garden in Columbus, Ohio, where I experimented with uncontested spaces between buildings/land underutilized in the urban environment.

Early experiments in my garden included growing black-eyed Susan’s and tomatoes.

I have tested these bags for many years and have been excited about how they hold up and how the green and flowering foliages fill buildings and gardens with life. One of my favorate works in this series is the Weed Bags, built for Cultivamos Cultura in 2017 hosting urban weeds.

EXHIBITIONS

CULTIVAMOS CULTURA                                                               São Luís, Portugal, Summer 2017
Produce WEEDs Installation with Poke Weed plants at residency invited by Marta De Menezes.

AALBORG UNIVERSITY,           Copenhagen, Denmark, March 14-18, 2016
Production of the Anthropogenic Stalactites curated by Morten Søndergaard and supported by Aalborg University.

NATIONAL CENTER FOR CONTEMPORARY ARTS, Ekacteringburg, Russia, 2013-2014 invited
Commission to create a new Cascading Garden for the Chelpipe Corporation in the City of Pervouralsk, Russia. Invited by Alisa Prudnikova

ANTONIO PRATES GALLERY, Lisbon, Portugal, 2013-2014
A one-person exhibition of seed works archival prints for series based on the wisdom of seeds and strategies of seed propagation. The new cascading garden was produced during the same exhibition invited by Antonio Prates

KNOWLTON SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE, Columbus, Ohio, 2013-2104
The unique cascading garden as part of an exhibition on Sustainability invited by curator/professor Kay Bea Jones

Artist and director:

Design and prototypes: Ken Rinaldo

CREDITS / TECHNICAL

Sewing prototypes Sharon Kliewer
Garden Timer: Ken Rinaldo
Seagull Bags; Daniel and John for production

Lessons on robotic installation, with electronics design and code

SHOW REQUIREMENT and DIMENSIONS

This work can be hung individually or in groups.

KEYWORDS

robotics, sustainable agriculture, biophilic design, green architecture

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Maximum Yield Indoor Gardening, 2014 pgs 34 Coverage of Cascading Gardens work
Inhabitat.com Ken Rinaldo’s Cascading Gardens Uses Vermiponics for Growing Veggies Vertically, by Jon Dioffa, 2013
TreeHugger, Vertical Vermiponis: Research project combines Worms with Hydroponics by Kimberly Mock 2013
Conk.com Rinaldo’s Cascading Gardens Uses Vermiponics for Growing Veggies Vertically.
Umbigo Magazine, The Spring Dreams of Ken Rinaldo by Mariana Machado, 12/11/13
A Green Living, Ken Rinaldo’s Cascading Garden Uses Vermiponics for Growing Veggies Vertically, Nov 7, 2013
Tech Investor News, Ken Rinaldo’s Cascading Garden Uses Vermiponics for Growing Veggies Vertically, Nov 7, 2013
News Service «URA.Ru», Worms and robots evoke imagination. Professor whose ideas inspired Microsoft, ready to help the Ural pipe makers, Xenia Fix, Photo ­ Alexander Mamaev, 05.11.2013 18:32
Pervo.RU, Vertical Garden– In Every Apartment in Pervouralsk, 6-11-2013
Garden Culture Magazine, Vermiponic Gardens? Vertical Innovations
Written by Amber on November 15, 2013. Posted in Vertical Gardening

1. Wolverton, B., Bounds, K., w. (1989) A study of interior landscape Plants for Indoor Air Pollution Abatement – NASA- TM-108061

CURRENT  EXHIBITIONS/COLLECTIONS

The Knowlton School of Architecture, The Ohio State University

Chelpipe Corporation, Russia

Antonio Prates Gallery, Lisbon Portugal

PURCHASE

kenrinaldo(AT)gmail.com