Lightweeds is a living, digital eco system of plants that live, move and behave directly along actual weather conditions. Digital seeds that contain the genetic data of a plant species are brought alive by the live data feed from sensors placed outside the building. The plants grow along actual measured rain and sunlight and sway in actual wind, ever evolving between gentle and intense as outside weather patterns change throughout the days
and seasons.

In honour of the United Kingdom State Visit of Their Majesties King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima of the Netherlands, a specially commissioned, site specific version of Lightweeds by Dutch born London based artist Simon Heijdens is overgrowing the facade of the Embassy of the Netherlands London, as a gift from the Netherlands to the UK.
Simon Heijdens’ Lightweeds (permanent collection Museum of Modern Art New York) is an ongoing work that since 2006 has been exhibited in over 50 locations around the world, and has previously been commissioned for the Dutch Royal Visit to the United States in 2015.

Nature is becoming rare in daily life. In the way the urbanising world is generally built and planned, our everyday surroundings are increasingly perpetual and static through conditioned climates and 24 hour lighting. When unpredictable natural elements such as a lifting breeze, a sudden shower, or a setting sun are planned out of our surroundings, the timeline of our everyday is lost.

Click here for Lightweeds

2018

Embassy of the Netherlands
31 October 2018 - 1 April 2019