In Costa Rica, we are surrounded by an abundance of plants. Our backyard at CIID is host to many beautiful species that other organisms can use for food and shelter. We wanted to bring a moment of celebration to this landscape that often goes unnoticed, or taken for granted. 

One of the plants often missed in the garden is a very small mango tree – which we centered in our story of the Mango’s birthday.

We used basic circuits and magnets, to bring to life the story of a day a Mango falls to the ground. The day it is at its most ripe, its most beautiful, its most delicious. We wanted to honor that moment when the mango falls from the tree and hits the ground, either to be eaten or decomposed to go back to the soil. 

We built a housing unit for the Mango and magnets attached to a conductive painting of the tree it fell from. The housing unit would randomly close the circuit as the Mango fell, giving a voice to the Mango on its day of celebration. And as the Mango made contact with the earth, a cannon of confetti –built with a small direct drive motor– waited for its long-anticipated arrival.