After the Reclaiming the Invisible event, I wanted to think more deeply about some of the ideas and concerns raised during the evening.
Wednesday, November 6, 2019, I was joined by a small group of artists who were also at the talk for an evening of thinking and making together. At the MAG event, the idea of ‘plants as technology’ really stuck with me. I wondered what it means for us (for artists) to be utilizing plants in various ways – especially as tools for reclamation. I wondered: How can technology bring us together in real life?
Focusing the ways that plants purify air inside our homes – together, we made a number of air purifyers: beeswax candles and satchets filled with activated charcoal. Images and more info are below.
Thanks to Grace Law, Chelsea Boos, Carolyn Jervis, and Taryn Kneteman for joining me!
Air Purification:
Charcoal works to absorb unpleasant odors, remove bacteria, harmful pollutants and allergens, and dehumidify air.
Activated charcoal is an odorless and tasteless substance that is extremely porous. One teaspoon of charcoal comprises a surface area of more than 10,000 square feet.
Activated charcoal that has been treated with oxygen results in millions of tiny pores opening up between the carbon atoms.
Tiny pores causes adsorption where the dust particles just get stick up on the surface.
Activated carbon filters remove VOCs [volatile organic compounds] that are floating about due to cleansers, refrigerants, paints, cooking fumes, pet dander and other products or irritants.
Those with breathing problems like asthma will benefit from the use of activated carbon filters as they efficiently remove environmental triggers.
Beeswax candles are thought to produce negative ions in the air that help in the removal of air pollution and other toxins.
Plants convert carbon dioxide into oxygen through the process of photosynthesis. Root-associated microbes convert toxins in the air into nutrients the plants eat and thrive on.