signal to nose
As a form of communication, plants release volatile compounds into the air – small broadcasts of airborne information. In moments of stress, compounds known as “green leaf volatiles” waft as warnings to nearby plants and insects. To the human nose, these notes go unnoticed, or register as a pleasant whiff of freshly cut grass. What if we were receptive to these notes of warning, these unseen signals all around us in the air?
In April 2019, Signal to Nose opened at Assemble, a community space for arts and Technology in Pittsburgh, PA. In the exhibition space, green leaf volatiles released as warnings by plants were broadcast into the air as an olfactory transmission. Alongside this scent transmission was a simultaneous low power FM radio transmission, broadcasting another kind of airborne signal – the voices of youth climate activists. The radio transmission could be heard in or near the gallery by turning on a radio tuned into a designated FM frequency.
Throughout the exhibition, the radio playlist evolved with the inclusion of audio collected from the public, including recordings collected on opening night. What do we broadcast alongside the warnings of plants?
The project also included activations and contributions from students at the University of Pittsburgh, including Nonnonsense Radio, a night of experimental sensory performances.