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Arch2O.com - Architecture & Design Magazine
German artist Carsten Höller and plant neurobiologist Stefano Mancuso are partnering up to add a whimsical new installation to Palazzo Strozzi; Florence?s famous renaissance palace.
Aiming to produce new understandings of human interactions with nature, the Florence Experiment has converted the Palazzo Strozzi facade and courtyard into an experiment. Interestingly, this monumental installation merges between art and science, as the project explores the impact of human emotion on plant growth.
Rendering by Michele Giuseppe Onali
Consisting of elegantly interweaved spiral slides, the Florence Experiment extends to 20 meters, transporting people from the second-floor terrace to the ground floor courtyard. For this experiment, each participant will be handed a plant before sliding to later undergo a process of “live analysis”. Each plant will be transported to a laboratory where its photosynthetic parameters and volatile molecules will be measured by scientists. The Florence Project performs an essential function of linking the indoor and outdoor spaces in Palazzo Strozzi, making visitors look at ecology with a new perspective.
Rendering by Michele Giuseppe Onali
Additionally, the laboratory will include a cinema that screens famous comedies and excerpt from horror films. These films are a part of the experiment as different volatile chemical compounds will be released as a result of the diverse reacti...