Nomination
c-lab.co.uk/projects/AIintheSky
At the heart of this project is a plant so rare that it stands on the brink of extinction. This plant, the Encephalartos woodii (E. woodii), a cycad classified as ‘extinct in the wild,’ is known from a single pollen-producing specimen found in South Africa’s oNgoye Forest in the late 19th century. Removed and propagated through cloned fragments of the original, all existing specimens are genetic replicas. As a dioecious species, it requires a seed-bearing (female) counterpart to reproduce—but none has ever been found. It remains trapped in a paradox—living, yet unable to reproduce.
Photo: Debbie Jewitt / C-LAB
Photo: C-LAB
Photo: C-LAB
Photo: laborthomosaicmap spectral / C-LAB
Photo: laborthomosaicmap spectral / C-LAB
AI in the Sky / Laura Cinti (IT). Photo: C-LAB
The oNgoye Forest has not been fully surveyed, leaving open the possibility of undiscovered specimens. While past searches relied on foot surveys, our project uses drones, multispectral imaging, and AI-assisted detection. Data from flights, mosaic maps, AI outputs, and synthetic imagery form a visual narrative where the forest dissolves into data, segmented and reassembled by algorithms. AI in the Sky lays bare its methods, exploring how technology shapes our engagement with nature and the meaning of searching for something that may no longer be there—at a time when so much is disappearing.
Credits
Artist & researcher: Laura Cinti (C-LAB)
Creative technologist: Howard Boland (C-LAB)
Ecosystem ecologist and drone pilot: Debbie Jewitt (Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife)
District ecologist: Sharon Louw (Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife)
Drone pilots: Tim Baker and Neolan Munien (Greater Together Foundation)
This project is indebted to the support received from: Roots and Seeds XXI Biodiversity Crisis and Plant Resistance Production Award (2021-2022), MUSE Digital Art Award (2023), and the NOVA_XX Award as part of the COAL Prize (2023) in partnership with the Centre Wallonie-Bruxelles Paris.
Biography
Laura Cinti (IT) is a research-based artist whose practice intersects science, technology and visual storytelling through experimentation and field research. More recently, her focus has shifted to biodiversity loss, using creative and technological approaches to rethink our relationship with endangered species. Her works have been exhibited and presented internationally.