Domi Horti Hurabile

Autonomous Life Systems at the Intersection of Art and Technology

The title of my portfolio, "Domi Horti Hurabile", is a Latin composition roughly translating to "The Gardens of the Self-Sustaining Home". This concept defines my work: autonomous ecosystems that sustain themselves without human intervention. In my installations, technology and nature are not opposites but collaborators in a delicate balance of adaptation and response. Each piece is an experiment in autonomy, a study of how an ecosystem can regulate itself when provided with the right conditions.

My installations vary in form but share a singular purpose: to create environments where plants, microorganisms, animals, and technology coexist in symbiosis. Some pieces resemble sculptural vases, where plants thrive within a controlled microclimate, dynamically adjusting to subtle changes in light, temperature, and humidity. Here, technology serves not as an intrusive force but as a quiet guardian—imperceptible yet vital to sustaining life.

Other works evolve into more intricate ecosystems, such as terrariums that independently regulate their internal conditions, sustaining plant life alongside fungi and microbial networks. These closed-loop systems generate unexpected interactions: moisture condensing on transparent walls, trickling back into the substrate, while minute temperature fluctuations dictate the rhythm of growth.

A further expansion of this concept led to the creation of an aquaponics system, where fish and plants coexist in a self-sustaining cycle. The fish provide nutrients for the plants, the plants filter and purify the water, and a carefully tuned technological framework ensures the continuity of this delicate exchange. What begins as a mechanically controlled process soon evolves into an organic entity, where each component depends on the next.

The most ambitious manifestation of this project was a fully autonomous ecosystem enclosed within a cabinet. This living machine integrated worms decomposing organic material, fish sustaining the nutrient cycle, and bacterial filters transforming waste into nourishment. Remarkably, this system functioned entirely on its own for 7.5 months, proving that a technological environment can foster a thriving, self-sufficient biome without human interference.

At the intersection of art, science, and technology, my installations are more than experiments in sustainability—they are reflections on our relationship with the natural world. At a time when human interventions threaten ecological balance, I propose an alternative vision: what if we were not controllers, but curators of equilibrium? What if technology existed not to dominate, but to nurture and collaborate with organic systems?

"Domi Horti Hurabile" is my response to these questions—a series of living sculptures exploring the boundaries between autonomy and dependence, between function and art, between control and surrender to nature’s inherent intelligence.

Prima Generation – Domi Horti Durabile I

Prima Generation – Domi Horti Durabile I