Botanica
I had the pleasure of designing and directing the visuals of Botanica (Botany). An engaging, musical science project by Deproducers that showcases the wonder, magic and beauty of the plant world.
Botanica speaks to a diverse audience with an impressive mass of information to address. Our main goal was to design a varied, evolving and rigorous language, where organic elements populate grids and spaces. Simply put, it’s a language for spreading scientific data and music.
A live musical production featuring four musicians and a scientist situated in a spectacular stage setting, the project includes a musical album and several related productions.
The production highlights 11 chapters, one for each music track, based on a specific botanical plot, from ancient trees to DNA patterns. The live 90-minute, multi-media performance includes more than 30 videos.
Green Planet – Dendrochronology – Photosynthesis – Roots – Psychoactive Nature – Plant Society – Global Seed Vault – Growth of a flower – Modular Vegetation – Deforestation – Botany
The research phase covered everything from old herbarium, scientific publications to fractal and generative graphics. The scientific aptitude of the project helped to make a significant contribution to both the research and production.
The collection of materials have been vast, the Biodiversity Heritage Library has been an important source of inspiration, if you’re seeking any old botanical illustrations, and it might be worth a visit.
THE PROCESS
The production followed the organic genesis of the music, starting from the sorting and collecting of elements like plants, seeds and leaves, creating a world of digital herbarium.
It was initially surprising and stimulating to use a scanner to capture images of flowers, seeds and leaves. This tool ensured a very high resolution and allowed one to create dramatic compositions, thanks to the singular source of light and depth of field.
All the visuals are crafted using a mix of organic elements, scientific data and mechanistic processes, driven and tied together by a deep sense of the poetry of the music.
During the postproduction, computational design has played a crucial role in achieving unique and unexpected results, thus allowing a continuous sense of growth and evolution – like a flower.
CREDITS
Botanica is a project by Deproducers, Stefano Mancuso, Aboca
Musicians: Vittorio Cosma, Max Casacci, Gianni Maroccolo, Riccardo Sinigallia
Botanist: Stefano Mancuso
Art Director & Visual Artist: Marino Capitanio
TOUR
21.03 – Roma – Auditorium Parco della Musica
22.04 – Genova – Supernova Festival
21.05 – Torino – Salone del Libro
22.07 – Firenze – Piazza Ss. Annunziata
13.12 – Brescia – Teatro Grande
check the full dates list here