Event 3: Pop-Up Lecture [Sun]Flower Plasma

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 Attending the lecture by Victoria Vesna and Haley Marks on their collaborative project, [SUN]Flower Plasma, was an enlightening experience that bridged the realms of art and science. Held during the Elements! in Art and Tech exhibition on Governors Island, the talk introduced the audience to the striking parallels between the heliotropic behavior of sunflowers and Alfvén waves. These magnetohydrodynamic plasma waves transmit energy along magnetic field lines (Harvestworks).

Picture of me attending the lecture!

Vesna, a media artist and my professor for DESMA 9 at UCLA, collaborated with plasma physicist Walter Gekelman and biomedical engineer Haley Marks to craft this immersive installation. They explained how Alfvén waves, recorded from the Large Plasma Device at UCLA, echo the rhythmic turning of sunflowers toward the sun. According to Marks, microscopic imagery of sunflower seeds revealed visual similarities to solar phenomena, creating a natural link between plant biology and cosmic plasma ([Sun]Flower Plasm Team).

Pictures from the exhibit from August 30 to October 27, 2024. ([Sun]Flower Plasm Team)

What struck me most during the lecture was how sound and imagery were layered to reflect cycles of creation and destruction. The installation incorporated solar wind data from NASA’s Parker Solar Probe and real-time plasma sounds, immersing the audience in a meditative experience on energy, light, and transformation (UCLA Art | Sci).

This picture of the sun's solar flares was provided by NASA. ([Sun]Flower Plasm Team)

They emphasized how interdisciplinary collaboration can reveal the hidden symmetry between the micro and macro worlds. After the lecture, I decided to do some research on my own to learn more about this project. [SUN]Flower Plasma is more than a multimedia installation. It’s a poetic reminder that nature and the cosmos speak the same visual and sonic language. This project invited me to see sunflowers not just as plants but as cosmic antennas dancing with solar winds.


Zoom confirmation of the lecture.






Works Cited

Harvestworks. “[Aug 30 – Oct 27] [SUN] Flower Plasma by Victoria Vesna in collaboration with plasma physicist, Walter Gekelman and biomedical engineer Haley Marks.” Harvestworks, 2024, https://www.harvestworks.org/aug-30-oct-27-sun-flower-waves-by-victoria-vesna-in-collaboration-with-plasma-physicist-walter-gekelman/. Accessed 20 May 2025.

[Sun]Flower Plasm Team. “[SUN]Flower Plasma.” sunflowerplasma, 2024, https://sunflowerplasma.com.  Accessed 19 May 2025.

UCLA Art | Sci. “[SUN]Flower Plasma.” Art Sci UCLA, 2024, https://artsci.ucla.edu/node/1746.   Accessed 20 May 2025.

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