Untitled (Light-Seeking Tree) (2025)
Keming Chang
Instructor: Kelly Cave

Artist Statement

Untitled (Light-Seeking Tree) is an interactive light-seeking lantern containing a small rotating tree structure. The tree is constructed from laser-cut acrylic pieces and hanging fabric strips, which sway and drift with the rotation, emphasizing a sense of motion and responsiveness. The top enclosure contains an Arduino microcontroller, a servo motor, and multiple light sensors. These sensors continuously read light levels from different directions. By comparing relative values rather than fixed thresholds, the system identifies the strongest light source and activates the servo to rotate the tree toward it. The piece functions as a simplified model of phototropism, translating a biological behavior into a mechanical and computational system.