Choir of Kin - Photosynthesizer

Choir of Kin – Photosynthesizer 
a collaboration between DAS WEISSE HAUS and Klima Biennale Wien 
with Transformative Narratives: Lena Kuzmich and Tony Wagner 
curated by Melissa Antunes de Menezes and Pia Wamsler  

Central to the installation at DAS WEISSE HAUS is the Photosynthesizer, making its Austrian debut. The instrument is part of the project Choir of Kin by the collective Transformative Narratives, consisting of Lena Kuzmich and Tony Wagner, and emerged from one and a half years of transdisciplinary research in collaboration with the University of Cambridge and the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.

Developed by Lena Kuzmich, the Photosynthesizer translates the photosynthetic activity of living cyanobacteria and microalgae into a light-responsive soundscape. The organisms respond continuously to changes in light, temperature, and other environmental factors, making biological processes audible and perceptible in their interconnectedness.

By harnessing the algae’s bioelectrical activity, the work explores a new, eco-centric approach to music-making: humans, organisms, and the environment are not separate, but form an inseparable, dynamic network. Every action, biological process, and acoustic response is part of this network, making our responsibility for ecological relationships tangible.

In three performative sequences, performers interact with the Photosynthesizer through experimental music pieces composed specifically by Tony Wagner. The compositions create a shared listening space in which the instrument’s signals and the live sounds of the performers merge. Through their intuitive and improvisational responses within the compositions, a vibrant, interconnected resonance emerges – a Choir of Kin.
Credits Photosynthesizer:
Collaboration
In collaboration with the Department of Biochemistry at the University of Cambridge, made possible through Dr. Paolo Bombelli, Joshua Lawrence, and Lucia Giron.
In collaboration with the Hybrid Forms Lab and the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, under the supervision of Dr. Raoul Frese. 
Technical Support: Rein van der Woerd & Dieter Vandoren
Funding 
This project is supported by the Creative Industries Fund NL and iii  instrumentinventors.org