We invite you to 'Gardening as Electricity Making', a workshop that celebrates the interplay of earth, electricity, life and the internet.

First we introduce the 'Tree-001' project, of which the workshop is part. It is an artistic research project that aims to synchronize the network infrastructure with the life cycle of a tree. Then there will be a brief presentation about the technology of Microbial Fuel Cells and Earth Batteries. These are ways to make electricity from soil, one using the metabolism of anaerobic bateria, and one using the chemical reaction between the metal electrode and soil. Artist Sunjoo Lee will take you through her research on making these cells.

The rest of the workshop is a hands-on session in which we make mud cells with soil and water. We will bury the electrodes in the mud and measure the low current the cells produce with multimeters. We will also try to power an Arduino and a self-made radio transmitter with the cells.

Then we will have a discussion altogether about the possibilities of electricity from the ground, and how to create and maintain a garden that can power small electronic devices.

If possible, bring your own soil and containers. If not, you can use the soil and containers we provide. The containers can be any shape and size between approximately 500 ml and 2 L, should be able to hold mud and should be non-conductive. Lid is not necessary.