Digital Art Made from Lava and Cactuses

The horticulture unit ‘204_NO_CONTENT’ is made of organic elements, transgressing the contents from the digital domain.

The textual context of the picture is a text found in the computer language that reads ‘204_NO_CONTENT’. It is an error report that appears in the internet communication. A machine communicates with another machine about protocols of failed communication [HTML server error], and thus providing the user with the insight into the problem. Error ‘204 No Content’ means that the server has fulfilled the request but there is no new information to send back.

A typographical
picture located in the desert is 3.6 x 31 meter in size and shaped
within the matrix made of 18 x 166 fields [2988 ‘pixels’]. This
‘low-resolution screen’ is made of cactuses and black lava. The ‘active
pixels’ are made of 2220 cactuses [Echinocactus grusonii]. At the
beginning of the project each cactus was approximately 18 cm in
diameter.

Materials used in
the installation are chosen respecting natural resources and
availability at the Fuerteventura island. Fuerteventura island is of
volcanic origin and therefore black lava is widely available. The
Echinocactus grusonii cactuses are visible around the island and have
an status of the local souvenir at the local airport. The sent used
within and around the installation is of local origin.