ABOUT
the project:
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(Biota, definition: refers to all of the plant and animal life that occupy a particular region, habitat, or geological period.)
In this project, viewers will have access to a secret wilderness at the heart of the city.​ Acting as a sort of virtual field-guide, Biota uses augmented reality to recreate the act of foraging and wildlife viewing here in the city. Before the city there was wilderness, serving in part as a reminder of the species that may have inhabited this space before urbanization, this project playfully invites viewers to search their surroundings and stumble upon a variety of plants, animals and mushrooms using the ART@large app. Biota offers viewers a chance to test their knowledge, will they be able to identify the animal species or differentiate between poisonous and edible plants and mushrooms? Using the linked website, viewers can learn about some of the flora, fauna and fungi with whom we share this land.
the artist:
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Annik Gaudet is an Atlantic Canadian artist based in K'jipuktuk / Halifax, NS. Her
interdisciplinary art practice places observation and intuition at the centre of her creative
process. Annik’s work is often site-specific and made in the field while out on wilderness
excursions. She creates imaginative and whimsical videos, performances, installations and
images that seek to invite viewers to spend time inside the wild realm. Annik holds a BFA from
the Nova Scotia College of Art & Design University and her work has been shown in galleries,
festivals and screenings in Canada and the USA.
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