Plastic Soup—Invisible Matters is a research-driven project organized by ZONE SOUND CREATIVE in collaboration with the multidisciplinary laboratory dériveLAB and the cultural space BEMA in Mexico. This international partnership brought together artists from Taiwan and Latin America, exploring the intersection of art, technology, and environmental awareness. Central to the project was the concept of the Environmental Sensory, encouraging artists to reflect on the interconnectedness of human and nonhuman elements within ecological systems.
Amid the pervasive anxiety and helplessness surrounding climate change—what Donna Haraway describes as a state of “indecisive agitation”—the project invited creative engagement with environmental disturbances. Through a year of remote collaboration, artists developed modular installations by integrating open-source environmental sensor networks and digital fabrication technologies. These adaptive, movable devices responded to local environmental conditions and were showcased in public spaces in both Taiwan and Latin America.
In Mexico, dériveLAB launched the ⊛ PIP Ciudad Futuro project, creating a futuristic environmental monitoring structure embedded in the urban landscape. In Taiwan, site-specific devices were designed to navigate the city, offering dynamic interactions with environmental data.
By inviting audiences to actively engage with the installations, the project blurred the lines between observer and creator, encouraging participants to sense the visible and invisible layers of their surroundings. Plastic Soup—Invisible Matters aimed to foster interdisciplinary dialogue and deepen public awareness of environmental issues through the lens of civic science and art.
The project featured a series of lectures and online platforms facilitating conversations between Taiwanese and Latin American artists. Outcomes were shared through artist talks and workshops in November 2021, culminating in an exhibition held from December 4, 2021, to January 9, 2022, at Frontier Gallery No. 71 in Treasure Hill Artists Village, Taiwan.
Exhibition view.
The audience can bring those portable devices out of the gallery.
Interface 1: Halo
2021, Iron, acrylic, lighting, control system, sensor
This prototype automatically illuminates as a night light in darkness. When it detects light from different sources, the area receiving it dims accordingly.
Interface 2: Trace
2021, Iron, transmission system, paper, and cement
The prototype is a portable device that continuously records the texture of the ground in an analogous manner. A pendulum leaves traces on a paper reel as its movements respond to external disturbances. These disturbances arise from the interaction between the operator, the device, and the surrounding environment.
Interface 3: Flow (Prototype)
2021, Paper tubes, PLA, paper, and polyester string； Dimensions variable
The prototype is designed as a buoyant device that reacts to airflow. Its modular design enables it to self-adjust in size and shape based on weather conditions, wind speed, and direction. The flow comprises tetrahedrons, where larger tetrahedrons are created from combinations of triangular pyramids, ultimately forming a fractal pattern. These cellular tetrahedral kites draw inspiration from cellular structures developed by Alexander Graham Bell in the early 1900s during his aviation experiments.
SmartCitizen Kit & Sonification Webpage
An environmental sensor kit with customized stands was used in this project.
Displayed here are screenshots from the interactive webpage. The quantity of particles reflects the density of suspended particles in the region, while the sound produced by particle collisions corresponds to various air indices.
Screenshot from a smartphone. The user can compare two sensors from different locations.
Screenshot from the SmartCitizen Kit official database.
Screenshot for the project website.
Screenshot the interactive webpage as viewed on a laptop Web browser.
Credits
- Advisor｜文化部 Ministry of Culture
- Co-Organizers｜deriveLab、BEMA、穀米機工 Okome Studio
- Venue Supported by｜寶藏巖國際藝術村 Treasure Hill Artists Village
- Installation made by｜穀米機工 Okome Studio
- Web Design｜阮琛婷 Jennifer Juan
- Key Visual｜ 洪紹元 Hong Shao Yuan 、蔡旻芳 Cora Tsai