Operational Bodies
In Operational Bodies, Špela Petrič explores how machines are increasingly taking over the care of plants.
In a greenhouse, a robot called the “Plantalyzer” moves slowly between rows of tomato plants. Every ten centimeters, it takes images using six cameras. With the help of AI (artificial intelligence), it analyzes the tomatoes—counting and checking their ripeness—and sends a report to the grower. What seems like helpful technology is also a system of control over living things. Petrič asks: what does it feel like to be the tomato, seen by a machine? By using the robot’s original image data in her artwork, she shows how technology not only supports us but also shapes how we see and manage nature. The images feel cold and technical, yet raise questions about power and connection. Operational Bodies fits into Machine Entanglements by showing how technology directly affects the way we deal with life—even in something as ordinary as growing food.
