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For this collaborative project, Graphicstudio accepted the artists’ challenge to create a layer of ink that would be imperceptible in daylight and glow in the dark, recreating the siphonophore from the video Vertical Migration. The Graphicstudio printers achieved a deep, dense black background with a purple glow through multiple photogravure runs. A final layer of phosphorescent screenprint ink was applied to the lighter areas of the image, mimicking the bioluminescence of the siphonophore in the deep sea. The phosphorescent ink is charged using UV light, enabling the prints to glow in the dark and interact with their surroundings, effectively replicating the appearance of these living creatures. The cover of the folio features a screenprinted title and siphonophore silhouette in partially transparent purple ink, accompanied by a text panel emphasizing the importance of these marine organisms.
SUPERFLEX, founded in 1993 by Jakob Fenger, Bjørnstjerne Christiansen, and Rasmus Rosengren Nielsen, was conceived as an expanded collective. The group has consistently collaborated with a diverse range of partners, working across several disciplines. Exploring alternative models of social and economic organization, SUPERFLEX’s works have taken various forms, including energy systems, sculptures, infrastructure, paintings, plant nurseries, and public spaces.
In 2021, SUPERFLEX designed a computer-generated siphonophore and created the animated film Vertical Migration, which depicts the organism’s ascent from the ocean floor. The video was originally projected onto the United Nations Secretariat Building during the 76th United Nations General Assembly. The siphonophore, a marine species and distant relative of the jellyfish, is a superorganism that sequesters carbon while providing shelter, transportation, and food for other ocean-dwelling species. Siphonophores also generate bioluminescence to entice prey, drawing them closer to being trapped and digested.
