Like a pinhole camera, “Flora Obscura” acts as a singular window into the enchanting dark of nature, a planter that focuses and enhances the distinct scent of the night-blooming moonflower (Ipomoea alba). In the mind’s eye, nature typically presents itself as a serene meadow, painted with lush greenery; a far-flung mountain range, snow drifting in the breeze; or a forest of towering trees, filtering the sunlight. But nature also lives, and thrives, in the night.
For countries in the Global North like Singapore, light pollution alters the way we perceive the dark, as we subconsciously translate the loss of visibility into the fear of the unknown. As a result, we tend to overlook the beauty of nature at night—we might not be able to see it, or we might, perhaps, refuse to see it. The tropical moonflower (Ipomoea alba), focused by “Flora Obscura,” serves as a reminder that nature can, in fact, hold untold beauty in the nighttime. As the alter ego to the familiar diurnal morning glory, the moonflower’s petals open at dusk and fade at dawn. This flowering vine produces multiple white, sweetly scented blooms each night, luring nocturnal pollinators like moths and bats. In “Flora Obscura,” a dark ceramic chamber that houses the moonflower, its fragrance blossoms. Akin to a pinhole camera, the planter enhances the properties of the moonflower by making use of the imbalance between the warmer inner temperature (a byproduct of the flower’s respiration) and the cooler external climate, establishing a convection current that circulates air from its bottom vent through its top opening. This airflow enhances the moonflower’s natural scent molecule, Linalool (C10H18O)—known for its soothing properties—and proliferates its fragrance in the room. As a microcosm of night’s beauty, “Flora Obscura” acts as a window into the less explored, but no less enchanting, domain of nature in the dark, its scent a calming counterpart to life in a stressful, fast-paced city.
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DESIGNERS
Cindy Evangeline
Kalinda Chen
STUDY
FLORA OBSCURA
Like a pinhole camera, “Flora Obscura” acts as a singular window into the enchanting dark of nature, a planter that focuses and enhances the distinct scent of the night-blooming moonflower (Ipomoea alba). In the mind’s eye, nature typically presents itself as a serene meadow, painted with lush greenery; a far-flung mountain range, snow drifting in the breeze; or a forest of towering trees, filtering the sunlight. But nature also lives, and thrives, in the night.
For countries in the Global North like Singapore, light pollution alters the way we perceive the dark, as we subconsciously translate the loss of visibility into the fear of the unknown. As a result, we tend to overlook the beauty of nature at night—we might not be able to see it, or we might, perhaps, refuse to see it. The tropical moonflower (Ipomoea alba), focused by “Flora Obscura,” serves as a reminder that nature can, in fact, hold untold beauty in the nighttime. As the alter ego to the familiar diurnal morning glory, the moonflower’s petals open at dusk and fade at dawn. This flowering vine produces multiple white, sweetly scented blooms each night, luring nocturnal pollinators like moths and bats. In “Flora Obscura,” a dark ceramic chamber that houses the moonflower, its fragrance blossoms. Akin to a pinhole camera, the planter enhances the properties of the moonflower by making use of the imbalance between the warmer inner temperature (a byproduct of the flower’s respiration) and the cooler external climate, establishing a convection current that circulates air from its bottom vent through its top opening. This airflow enhances the moonflower’s natural scent molecule, Linalool (C10H18O)—known for its soothing properties—and proliferates its fragrance in the room. As a microcosm of night’s beauty, “Flora Obscura” acts as a window into the less explored, but no less enchanting, domain of nature in the dark, its scent a calming counterpart to life in a stressful, fast-paced city.
DESIGNERS
Cindy Evangeline
Kalinda Chen
STUDY
FLORA OBSCURA
Like a pinhole camera, “Flora Obscura” acts as a singular window into the enchanting dark of nature, a planter that focuses and enhances the distinct scent of the night-blooming moonflower (Ipomoea alba). In the mind’s eye, nature typically presents itself as a serene meadow, painted with lush greenery; a far-flung mountain range, snow drifting in the breeze; or a forest of towering trees, filtering the sunlight. But nature also lives, and thrives, in the night.
For countries in the Global North like Singapore, light pollution alters the way we perceive the dark, as we subconsciously translate the loss of visibility into the fear of the unknown. As a result, we tend to overlook the beauty of nature at night—we might not be able to see it, or we might, perhaps, refuse to see it. The tropical moonflower (Ipomoea alba), focused by “Flora Obscura,” serves as a reminder that nature can, in fact, hold untold beauty in the nighttime. As the alter ego to the familiar diurnal morning glory, the moonflower’s petals open at dusk and fade at dawn. This flowering vine produces multiple white, sweetly scented blooms each night, luring nocturnal pollinators like moths and bats. In “Flora Obscura,” a dark ceramic chamber that houses the moonflower, its fragrance blossoms. Akin to a pinhole camera, the planter enhances the properties of the moonflower by making use of the imbalance between the warmer inner temperature (a byproduct of the flower’s respiration) and the cooler external climate, establishing a convection current that circulates air from its bottom vent through its top opening. This airflow enhances the moonflower’s natural scent molecule, Linalool (C10H18O)—known for its soothing properties—and proliferates its fragrance in the room. As a microcosm of night’s beauty, “Flora Obscura” acts as a window into the less explored, but no less enchanting, domain of nature in the dark, its scent a calming counterpart to life in a stressful, fast-paced city.
DESIGNERS
Cindy Evangeline
Kalinda Chen