Dutch ecological artist Thijs Biersteker created Xylemia for Ruinart 2024 Carte Blanche. The artwork uses high-tech sensors wrapped around a tree trunk, just like vine would, to capture sap flow in real time. The flow is then displayed on LED screens for everyone to see. Xylemia reveals the vital flow of the tree sap and shows how much trees and humans are alike. By turning scientific data into feelings, Xylemia helps us see ourselves in another living being. This art & science installation resulted from an encounter between Thijs Biersteker and Frédéric Panaïotis, Ruinart Cellar Master. Both the artist and winemaker are passionate about scientific data that helps us understand nature and the way it is affected by global warming. From science to ecological art, there is just one step.
