The Tomatoes Tasted Like Automation of Care

Every evening, the Plantalyzer robot slowly rolls along the heating pipes between rows of tomato plants in the greenhouse. During its 6 hour ride, it snaps images every 10 centimeters with its six cameras. After their capture, it analyzes the visual images for data, identifying the number of tomatoes and their color. The grower receives a report containing the current harvestable yield, classified into twelve categories of ripeness. These operational images, normally only ever glimpsed by machines, were captured over 9 months along 8 tomato rows in a state-of-the-art greenhouse.

2024 | Concept and execution: Špela Petrič | Operational images rendering: Tim Oblak | Camera and editing: Rob van Pelt | Design: Miha Turšič | Interviewer: Judith van der Elst | Growers: Ted Duijvestijn, Marien Verkade | Facilitation: EatThis. (Peter van der Sar, Rene Snijders, Ed Smits) | Plantalyzer robot data: HortiKey (Andreas Hofland) | Transcription and translation: Tuyet Stooker, Michael Blass | Advice: Martyna Marciniak, Agnieszka Wołodźko | Thanks to: Paulien Dressher, George Knegtel, Sunke Puell, Simon Gmajner, Reon Cordova, Rebeca Ibáñez Martín, HortiKey, Duijvestijn Tomaten | Supported by: Centre of Applied Research for Art, Design and Technology (CARADT), Creative Europe - EU Digital Deal, and the Netherlands Film Festival.