San Pedro Monochord

Performing (de)composition (2022 -  )

Medium: Mixed media, San Pedro cactus skeleton, dried skin and spikes, various cotton and conductive threads, piezo string, microcontroller, 

Forthcoming “Threads of Decay, Spikes of Reverie - a transmedia performance” 

The San Pedro Monochord materialises from the intimate rhythms of a shared life cycle with the artist, where a San Pedro cactus grew, withered, and transformed into its new body—now an instrument. Another shared life cycle begins through a transmedia performance, altering the cactus's journey of growth, death, and decay, woven into a single, resonant string. Gestures performed on the instrument echo rebirth and transformation dance, amplified by AI-driven narratives and algorithmic patterns that merge plant wisdom with contemporary ritual culture.
The San Pedro Monochord becomes a site of reconciliation, offering audiences a tangible space to meditate on the enduring bond between humans and plants, carried forward through sound, music, video, and ritual.The temporality of the decomposition of a San Pedro cactus is transformed into the San Pedro Monochord, capturing the power of poetic reflection through recurring patterns that influence the playing gestures of the artist. The body of the cactus has grown, died, and decayed in an environment closely shared with the artist. The cultural history and chemical components are integral to the process of materialisation and the decision to incorporate gestures intimately connected with the cyclical life of this particular San Pedro monochord, further deepening the relationship with the artist. Their mutual sonic relationship will continue to resonate.