Purr-fect Plants – Crafting the Future With Liam Martyn Astbury
NeoBotanica was Liam Martyn Astbury’s plant propagation laboratory, a window into the reality of gardening in the future. He created cat-related houseplants in 2158 using a quirky mix of art and science.
About Neo Botanica
NeoBotanica is the culmination of Liam Martyn Astbury’s year-long participation in the Awhi Incubator Project and ARG Lab 2024.
“Awhi Incubator Project has given me the support to learn new skills and develop new ideas.”
In the year 2158, NeoBotanica, Plant Propagation Laboratory, breeds botanical specimens for nature loving consumers, at a time when the once humble houseplant is now a scarce and precious commodity. NeoBotanica imagines the future composition of botanical specimens by combining art and science, creating plants in multi dimensional formats. Through this innovative approach, NeoBotanica explores the significance and functionality of houseplants in a dystopian world.
“By attending the Awhi Incubator Project workshops my skills have grown a lot. I already had some knowledge but needed more training to understand them. I can now use these skills for future projects. I’ve learnt how to do video and projection mapping using Madmapper; experimented with Audacity to edit sound; explored Blender to build 3D printing models; used StopMotion for creating still and moving images; created animations using AfterEffects; edited video clips using Capcut; learnt how PremierPro works to edit both animation and sound; practised more with Indesign and Photoshop to create original artwork.”
Utilising the array of exciting digital technologies available to him during this project, Astbury has envisioned the future composition of houseplants by incorporating his ongoing research into the relationships between humans and their domesticated felines. NeoBotanica emerges as a natural extension of his explorations into these unique bonds, marking a significant step forward in his research.
“Being part of the ARG Lab 2024 has upskilled and supported me to keep building on my art practice, making it stronger for the future. I have had the opportunity to put the skills I have learnt into practice. I’m excited to show my friends, family, colleagues, and community how my art practice has developed over the past year.”
(Images by Nabulen Photography)
About Liam Martyn Asbury
Liam Martyn Astbury is a multidisciplinary digital artist working with photography, videography, graphic design, and animation. Originally from the United Kingdom, Astbury made New Zealand his home in 2008 and currently resides in Whangārei, Northland.
In 2019, he gained a Bachelor of Applied Arts (Digital) from North Tec, Whangārei. Astbury’s art practice is deeply influenced by his connection with animals, particularly cats, a bond he attributes to his journey with autism.
He continues to explore the relationships between humans and their pets with a variety of digital media.
About ARG Lab 24 & Awhi Incubator
This experience is part of the Alternative Reality Gardening Lab – a creative innovation event within the capacity-building Awhi Incubator Project. ARG Lab 24 showcases research conducted by participants and collaborators of the Awhi Incubator during 2023/2024.
Following a successful publication and symposium in 2023, ARG Lab 24 is a transdisciplinary collection of exhibitions, events, performances, workshops, and talks exploring diverse perspectives on place. It occurs in a variety of locations across Te Tai Tokerau|Northland from May 17th to the 25th.
Some sessions are designed to build capacity within targeted communities, while others are open to the general public and welcome all interested.
Underpinning the lab are themes of resilience, diversity, sustainability, and an expanded understanding of the concept of ‘place”.
Places today are formed from multiple intelligences, materialities, and lifeforms and are intersected by a rich array of alternative realities and parallel worlds. Flora, fauna, signals, and code entangle, and what is considered real, true, alive, and beautiful is negotiated. The lab explores emerging new types of gardens. What is being cultivated (internally, creatively, physically, spiritually)? What is thriving, and what needs protection? What new lifeforms and materials are emerging, and how do they intersect with what exists now?
ARG Lab 24 is a nexus for scholarly debate and creative exploration, highlighting themes of resilience and sustainability. It interrogates the intersection of emerging technologies with natural and social ecosystems, exploring how digital narratives and artistic practices can inform and transform our understanding of intelligence, being, space and place.
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Thanks to the Ministry of Culture and Heritage | Manatū Taonga for funding the Awhi Incubator Project through their Innovation Fund.