I've been talking this piece up for a while, and here it is: the photosynthesizer. The photosynthesizer is both an instrument and a sound installation. Left on its own, the piece is photo-reactive, changing the volumes and tones that it plays depending on where the sun is in the sky, and the shadows that are being cast across its face. Over the course of the day the piece will get louder as high noon approaches and soften as the sun goes down, eventually becoming silent in the absence of light. In this way it reacts to and follows the sun in the same way a flower might. The sheet metal petals also fold up and down in the presence of light, casting shadows of their own and creating a rhythm to the sounds generated. These petals are also photo-reactive, meaning that they only move when there is enough light around to activate them, and stop when the light drops (or when they are switched off).
Video:
The photosynthesizer going on its own as a sound installation:
And then playing it as a musical instrument:
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