In 2002 I was invited to design an exhibit for The Exploratorium, a museum of art and science here in San Francisco. In this hydroponic garden pairs of plants are housed in life support pods suspended from a chandelier like armature. The roots of the plants swim in illuminated, water filled boxes, which are constantly replenished from tall Plexiglas reservoirs resting on the ground. The reservoirs are attached to a central pod, referred to by the folks at The Exploratorium as “the mother ship” and housing six Dwarf Impatiens. Cushioned settees, covered with a Victorian floral print fabric and sealed in clear vinyl surround this floor pod.

Jarred-In was modeled on the techniques and aesthetics of the Wardian Case, which was used to transport living plants from one continent to another during the 18th and 19th centuries. I also wanted this technological garden to look like the swarm of alien ships that appear at the end of the film Close Encounters of The Third Kind.

16' x 12' x 12' Plexiglas, steel, water, electronics, plants, etc.

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