[Mic Matters

Does the pursuit of technological control distance us from nature, or can art and science forge a deeper connection?






In this episode of Mic Matters, we speak with biology researchers Luciana Andrei and Codruț Petre about their essential contribution to Hush Glitches. We explore the challenge of translating detailed scientific phenomena - from the precise morphology of endangered plants to physiological responses to stimuli - into a language that is both biologically accurate and artistically compelling. Luciana and Codruț discuss how their passion for botany and their eye for scientific detail were shaped by an artistic inclination, and how the collaboration revealed the surprising creative value of data points they previously overlooked. This is a deep dive into the tension between the predictable responses of nature (which technology seeks to control) and the impredictable outcome of artistic interpretation. The conversation addresses the ethical necessity of using technological development not just for human benefit, but also for supporting the nature that industrialization has damaged, raising questions about the enduring anthropocentric hierarchy.






Key Topics (Oral Field Notes):


Accuracy vs. artistic interpretation: How do biologists ensure scientific requirements (e.g., plant dynamics, physiological phenomena ) are correctly translated into movement and visual art without losing fidelity?


The digital translation: Analyzing the limitations of digital twin modeling when transposing microscopic details (micrometers) and why the focus must shift from hyper-fidelity to the plant's overall essence.


Predicting the unpredictable: Why the natural world's responses to stimuli can be predicted (due to known standards) , and how the shift to predictable, technology-controlled environments changes the nature of conservation.


Ethics and technological determism: The moral obligation to use technology to support and conserve nature; challenging the anthropocentric view of plants as "silent workers."






About our guests:


Luciana Andrei and Codruț Petre are young biology researchers, from the Faculty of Biology at the University of Bucharest. They specialize in biodiversity, plant morphology, and conservation, focusing on how scientific rigor can inform new perspectives on our ecological environment.






Context:


Hush Glitches is positioned as a catalyst for social and ecological engagement, investigating how a performative installation, rooted in scientific inquiry into endemic flora, can use technology not as a source of detachment, but as a medium to re-establish a vital connection with nature.






More info: https://marginal.ro/project/hush-glit...






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Hush Glitches is co-financed by the Timișoara City Hall through the Project Center and Administration of the National Cultural Fund. The project does not necessarily represent the position of The Administration of the National Cultural Fund. The Administration of the National Cultural Fund is not responsible for the content of the project or the manner in which the results of the project may be used. These are entirely the responsibility of the funding recipient.