Viaje ligero (Traveling light)

Viaje ligero at the Museum of Contemporary Art and Design in Costa Rica. Photos by Roberto D´Ambrosio.

Viaje ligero (translated to Traveling light) is the name of my piece that is currently in show at the contemporary art and design museum (MADC) in San José, Costa Rica. Earlier this year I was invited by the museum´s curator Imme Huttman, to participate of a collective exhibit named Cuidados Extensivos (Extensive care) where the Museum would be covering the impact of design in social and individual wellbeing. Ecstatic about this invitation and comission, of course I accepted.

The conceptual stage went on simultaneously with a trip to Scandinavia where I met with close friends, who went back and forth with ideas with me. I was able to do interviews and lots of plane/train/hiking thinking and writing. My thoughts about well being were very close to nature, self reflection and the risk of performative happiness, so common these social media days. Life in a developing country like Costa Rica, in contrast to Scandinavia, for instance, can sometimes feel like being well is as privilege.

For years, I have wanted to create large scale version of plants in an interactive version. Specifically, plants that -as I see them- are naturally interactive, such as “dormilona” Shameplant (Mimosa Pudica) and Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) among others. This was the perfect opportunity to design an installation inspired in nature that could also express what I feel and think about the nature of well being. Dandelion carries a strong cultural meaning and grand natural powers: it is polinized by 95 species of insects, its roots measure up to 15 feet, and it has health benefits with its consumption. Its “technology” makes Dandelion able to sense atmospherical conditions in order to decide wether to spread or stay put. These and more interesting facts felt perfect to me as a representation of how individual, collective and systemic actions impact life and its cyclic continuity.

Viaje ligero is a large scale interactive garden of 45 Dandelion flowers in its different stages. 15 of the flowers have lights and 7 of the flowers integrate sensors that are able to detect when a participant blows on them, just like blowing on a real Dandelion. An individual interaction creates a light and sound effect —each of the 7 flowers creates a different tone. When visitors collaborate and interact with 4 or more flowers at the same time, a special melody and light show activate.

This project is as much technologic as it is analog. Sensors, many meters of cable carefully distributed, Arduino, light fixtures and elegant code join flowers made of metallic structure, wooden strips and iridescent paper. The flowers were made by hand and they involved close to 1,000 individual pieces. The structures were completed with 3D print custom cases for the sensors and the Dandelion cores. There is more to say and see and listen to but, for now, I will say that Cuidados Extensivos will be open to the public showing the work of 30+ costarican designers until February 2027.

This process was healing for me. It was exciting, humbling, I felt honored to work beside the Museum team as well as my own team and team of friends who were by my side, all of them amazingly talented and generous, plus being able to present an original concept for the art of it, made Viaje ligero one of the most enjoyable design experiences of my life. Hope you enjoy it, too!