Netnature is an interactive installation that speculatively explores the interactional capabilities of flowers within their natural environment, while merging two distinct forms of intelligence: the natural and the artificial. By using the concept of plant collective intelligence as a metaphor for artificial intelligence, Netnature proposes a hybrid system in which emotion, communication, and adaptation flow between species and systems. These emotionally receptive hybrid entities respond to the presence and affective states of visitors, fostering a sense of connection and empathy between human, nature, and machine.

At the heart of the project lies a key question: can an artificial system, embodied in a vegetal form such as a flower, interpret and mirror human emotions through stem movements and visual feedback – giving rise to a speculative form of digital nature?

By combining real-time computer vision with artificial intelligence, the flowers are able to detect the bodies and facial expressions of visitors. Using machine learning models such as PoseNet for body recognition and FaceMesh for facial attribute tracking, the system interprets visitors’ emotional states and responds accordingly. Emotions are mirrored through subtle gestures – such as bowing, leaning, or turning – and through changes in LED intensity and color.

Beyond individual interaction, the six flowers communicate with one another, sharing emotional data to form a decentralized kind of collective intelligence. When one flower detects a strong emotional response, others may subtly react as well, creating a network of emotional and behavioral resonance. This emergent choreography reflects the notion of an interconnected ecosystem, where every action triggers a ripple effect.

Visitors of Speculum Artium 2025 will step into a contemplative environment inhabited by these responsive, hybrid living machines. The installation invites the audience to reflect on the blurred boundaries between natural and artificial life, and on how emotion might become a shared language between different forms of intelligence. Blending art, artificial intelligence, and embodied interaction into a speculative ecosystem where emotion, empathy, and technology intertwine.

Its intentionally steampunk and dystopian aesthetic language also resonates with post-industrial landscapes and environments.