Studies of a Figure in Green is a trilogy that explores humankinds' strange yet sincere relationship with nature. The title, is inspired by the many studies of figures in landscapes in the history of painting. Each ‘figure’ in our work will constitute the subject of a chapter in this trilogy.
The first chapter will focus on plant consciousness through a pseudoscientific lens; the second will address the political concept of ecofascism in contemporary society; the third one will propose more existential topics, exploring the concept of care, fear of death and the paradox of choosing between a real or fake plant.
All three parts will be a multidisciplinary combination of performative and video installation elements, and they will be all permeated by a different shade of green.

We've received pre-project developping funding for the research Studies of a Figure in Green - Chapter 1. Our starting point is the experimental work of Cleve Backster, the former head of the polygraph department at the CIA. In 1966, Backster attached lie detector machines to the Dracaena plants in his office to measure their responses to external events. Though generally considered pseudoscience, from an artistic and performative point of view, Backster’s experiments are fascinating, tantalizing us with wild speculation;Can we really interact with our plants? Do they feel us? Do they have feelings? What does plant knowledge look like? Can plants lie? 

This misguided, confused and intriguing attempt to commune with nature is the basis from which we’ll develop a unique visual language. LiLi Re unites movement, voice recording and video images to create an immersive installation, a sensitive environment where the viewers become part of a pseudoscientific world of hybrid experiments, fall in love with a potted plant and search for the truth.