The Koishi interactive planter is a concept from the mind of Maltese designer Noel Zahra. The pot monitors the plant’s activities via two wires clipped to its leaves. These signals are then transformed into an improvisational visual and auditory experience, unique to each plant.

The idea behind the Koishi planter is twofold. First, it aims to allow us to interact with plants in a manner more similar to the way in which we interact with other animals, by giving the plants a voice, so to speak. Second, it allows plants to play a more active role within our homes, more than just as passive air-fresheners.

Zahra posits that by allowing the plants to produce their own sounds and lights, they are finally able to give back to their human caretakers. I would argue that plants already give back to us in volumes, and that we, as humans, don’t make very gracious hosts. After all, the Earth’s plants are responsible for absorbing around 30% of all atmospheric carbon dioxide and provide, either directly or indirectly, almost 100% of all our food, and we are still clearcutting forests around the world.

I’m all for the idea of a “plant peace pot.” But maybe if we could let entire ecosystems be heard, we would all become better listeners.

Photos and video © Noel Zahra

Portland-based band Big Haunt got in touch with me to share the first music video from their brand new album Devotionals. And it’s awesome. As to why they decided to reach out to me, your guess is as good as mine  (although I suspect it might have something to do with a different video I shared a couple of months ago). Whatever the reason, I’m glad they did. I won’t pretend I know the first thing about music, but I know what I like, and this is it.

The Portland Mercury described “Burn Me Up” (below) as a song in which “dark lyrics and harmonizing are wrapped in poignant instrumentation that ebbs and flows between high-energy shrills and relaxed verses.” I’d say that applies to Devotionals as a whole; check out the video and decide for yourself.

How amazing is everything in that video? It was created in collaboration with cinematic visionaries Lion Attack, whose whole repertoire is wonderfully weird.

I moved this post to the top of my to-do list because Big Haunt is having a video release party this Wednesday, April 2nd, at Valentine’s here in Portland, and I’d encourage any locals to attend. I plan on being there, so be sure to say hello if you do stop by! In the meantime, be sure to check out the rest of Devotionals over on BandCamp and follow them on Facebook.

Video © Big Haunt

If you’ve appreciated some of the new content on the blog over the past few days, this might excite you: I’m both proud and privileged to offer a sneak peek of The Hotel Alexis‘ newest music video, featuring the track Gold Tonight from their album Raised on Fire. It just about speaks for itself.

Ritual sacrifice, cults, head dresses and a love story to top it off – what’s not to like? You can show your support by purchasing this track and others over on Bandcamp or on iTunes, or by following The Hotel Alexis over on Facebook.

I’m a huge fan of Wilder Quarterly. Their publication shares the same guiding principle as Plant Propaganda: a place for those interested in the natural world to be exposed to new ideas, be it art, music, cooking, crafting or travel. Now, the folks at Wilder want to expand their work to encompass a project they’re calling Field Art, and I’m all for it.

Each season, Wilder will select three artists from a single city and provide them with a grant to create a piece of art inspired by that season. Then, four times each year, subscribers to Field Art will receive copies of the season-specific pieces. By helping to Kickstart the Field Art project, you are helping to support the creation and distribution of art, as well as giving back to The National Parks Foundation. Plus, the backer benefits are awesome. For just $10, you receive four digital issues of Wilder Quarterly, which are regularly $5.99 apiece. That’s a savings of over 50%.

To learn more about the Field Art project and become a backer, visit the Kickstarter page. And if you do decide to pledge, I would love it if you contacted me or left a comment. I’d be interested to see how many Plant Propaganda readers contribute to this cause.

And now, a brief interlude before Garden Blogger’s Fling: Part 2.

Yunfan Tan is a young artist and designer from Shanghai, China, who’s experimented with everything from product design to illustration to animation. Below are a series of .gifs he created entitled ‘A Collection of Dancing Leaves.’ The way Tan captures the slow process of dessication, it’s easy to ascribe deep meanings about life and death to these images. But with titles like Waltz, Boom and Octopus, I think the artist might have envisioned a more lighthearted interpretation.

Read more…