In the series Confronting Vegetal Otherness, intermedia artist Špela Petrič explores the possibility of intercognition between humans and plants based on the innate biosemiotic processes, that is the physico-chemical signs that facilitate a senseful interaction. Through the omission of technological interfaces, she hopes to address the distinct properties of animals and plants at different levels of organization (cells, individual, community), reasoning that to embody the post-anthropocentric paradigm towards plants, the human individual must transiently commit to a level of vegetalization. Skotopoiesis (meaning shaped by darkness) is the first performance from the series attempting plant-human intercognition. In this durational piece the artist and germinating cress face each other, illuminated by a light projection. The biosemiosis occurs through the obstruction of light; the artist’s shadow contributes to the etiolation of the cress (paling, lengthening), while the time she stands arrested to achieve this effect results in the shrinkage of the artist, making visible the effort of this cross-species encounter. Author: Špela Petrič / Design: Miha Turšič / Realization: ScenArt / Production: Kapelica Gallery, Ljubljana / This work is supported by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Slovenia, the Municipality of Ljubljana, Slovenia and the Amsterdams Fonds voor de Kunst, Amsterdam, the Netherlands

1. Confronting Vegetal
Otherness
Špela Petrič
Slovenia

3. HOW DO HUMANS RELATE TO PLANTS?
UTILITY
agriculture/food
medicine
materials
fuel
nature conservation
(“lungs of planet”, habitat
conservation)
EMPATHY (?)
nature conservation
(pity)
antropomorphism
(plant neurobiology)
gardening
(aesthetic pleasure)
WHERE LIES AT THE ROOT OF TOTAL
OBJECTIFICATION?

4. WESTERN PHILOSOPHICAL TRADITION
UNDERSTANDS PLANTS AS
LACKING
autonomy
individualization
self-identity
originality
and essentiality

5. TIME-SCALE AND ASSIMILATION

6. SEDENTARY

7. PLURIPOTENCY AND VEGETATIVE REPRODUCTION
(“body without organs”)

8. PLANT NEUROBIOLOGY

9. GROWTH IS THE MAIN MODALITY OF
MOVEMENT
the crescograph, Sir Jagadis Chunder Bose, 1919

10. PLANT COMMUNITES FORM A CONTINUUM

11. THEY ALSO FORM (NATURAL) GRAFTS

12. SEXUAL REPRODUCTION

13. PUTTING THEORY INTO PRACTICE: WHAT
OF THE ‘NEW’ SUBJECTIVITY?

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BIOSEMIOSIS

17. no response
or inhibition
responsePr Pfr
darkness
red light
670nm
730nm
far-red light

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BRASSINOLIDE ESTRADIOL

30. s not as advanced and recognised. Existing evidence is
ing and calls for further investigation on the proxi-
, mechanistic question of how plants acquire and
ond to acoustic information and further, demands
examination of ultimate, functional questions as to
are the mere result of the abrupt release of tension in th
water-transport system [5]. We anticipate that plan
acoustic radiation is not simply an incidental mechanica
by-product attributable to cavitation alone; recent ev
dence illustrates that the young roots of corn generat
(c)
(a)
(b)
Water
Air
Sound
35
40
45
50
ardsthe
nd(%)
0.04
0.02

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