Mrs. Hashimoto and Her Cactus
sound, headphones, mp3 player, cactus, terra cotta pot
exhibited at Rutgers University. Newark, NJ. 2015
Based on the electronic experiments of Dr. Ken Hashimoto and his wife, documented in the Secret Life of Plants by Tompkins and Bird.
In the experiments, Hashimoto wires his home cactus with polygraph lie detector equipment in order to test plant sentience. Mrs. Hashimoto attempts to communicate with the cactus, by teaching it the Japanese alphabet.
Inspired by these events, "Mrs. Hashimoto and Her Cactus" plays with the experiments and theory of plant sentience while inviting listeners to interact with sound interpretation of the conversation between Mrs. Hashimoto and her cactus.