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Medusa Valley | Yiannis Kranidiotis (GR)
(2025.) Interaktivna instalacija / 
Interactive installation
Yiannis Kranidiotis je umjetnik novih medija i glazbenik čiji rad istražuje odnos između svjetla i zvuka stvaranjem prostora i iskustava u kojima oboje koegzistiraju i međusobno djeluju. Također ga zanima istraživanje neraskidivog odnosa između znanosti i umjetnosti. To zahtijeva interdisciplinarni rad sa zvukom, vizualnim umjetnostima, kodiranjem, elektronikom i fizikom. Njegovi radovi predstavljeni su na mnogim festivalima i izložbama poput SPECTRA 2017 (Aberdeen, UK), Made in NY Media Center (New York), B-Seite Festival (Njemačka), Rome Media Festival 2016 (Rim), ISEA 2016 (Hong Kong), ISEA 2015 (Vancouver), MADATAC 08-06 (Madrid), Lumen Prize Online Gallery, Aesthetica Art Prize 2015 Longlist, Onassis Cultural Center (Atena). Mnoge web stranice i časopisi objavili su članke o njegovom radu, uključujući "Google Cultural Institute", "The Creators Project", "Gizmodo", "Open Culture", "Hyperallergic", "Bigthink" i "Konstvärlden". Također je skladao glazbu za kratke filmove i kazalište. Ima diplomu prvostupnika fizike sa Sveučilišta u Partasu i magisterij optike sa Sveučilišta u Essexu. Živi i radi u Ateni.
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Yiannis Kranidiotis is a new media artist and musician whose work explores the relationship between light and sound by creating spaces and experiences where both coexist and interact. He is also interested in investigating the inseparable relationship between science and art. This requires a cross-disciplinary work with sound, visual arts, coding, electronics and physics. His work has been presented in many festivals and exhibitions like SPECTRA 2017 (Aberdeen, UK), Made in NY Media Center (New York), B-Seite Festival (Germany), Rome Media Festival 2016 (Rome), ISEA 2016 (Hong Kong), ISEA 2015 (Vancouver), MADATAC 08-06 (Madrid), Lumen Prize Online Gallery, Aesthetica Art Prize 2015 Longlist, Onassis Cultural Center (Athens). Many websites and magazines have published articles about his work including "Google Cultural Institute", "The Creators Project", "Gizmodo", "Open Culture", "Hyperallergic", "Bigthink" and "Konstvärlden". He has also composed music for short films and theater. He has a BS in Physics from University of Partas and M.Sc. in Optics from Essex University. He lives and works in Athens. 
Plastične boce, optička vlakna, LED diode, žice, zvučnici, Arduino, prilagođeni softver
Premijerno prikazana na ADAF-u (Athens Digital Arts Festival) instalacija Medusa Valley priča priču o novoj vrsti mutantne meduze - PETE Meduza. Nazvana po PETE plastičnoj boci koja tvori njezin torzo, ovaj izmišljeni organizam hibrid je sintetičkog otpada i biološke prilagodbe. Znanstvenici su primijetili da su mnoge plastične boce koje plutaju oceanom razvile plastične pipke, sposobne detektirati prisutnost živih organizama. Kao odgovor na ljudsku blizinu, ovi pipci emitiraju svjetlosne impulse, kao oblik komunikacije između umjetnog života i njegovih stvoritelja.
Još nevjerojatnije, neke od ovih mutantskih meduza razvile su membranu koja nalikuje primitivnom zvučniku na vrhu, aktiviranu senzorima unutar pipaka. Kada se ljudi približe, ovi zvučnici proizvode uznemirujući zvuk, koji podsjeća na Geigerov brojač - uređaj koji se koristi za mjerenje zračenja. Ovaj auditivni signal postavlja alarmantno pitanje: Jesu li ljudi veća prijetnja planetu od nuklearne katastrofe?
PETE Meduza služi i kao spekulativna fikcija i kao oštra kritika onečišćenja oceana plastikom. Izrađena od običnih PET plastičnih boca, plastičnih optičkih vlakana, LED dioda i malih zvučnika, utjelovljuje paradoksalnu transformaciju - otpad prenamijenjen u interaktivno, poluživo biće. Ova ironična evolucija djeluje kao metafora za prisilnu prilagodbu prirode ljudskom utjecaju na okoliš. Reaktivni zvučni i svjetlosni elementi skulpture simboliziraju potencijalnu budućnost u kojoj priroda razvija mehanizme za reagiranje - možda čak i otpor - na neumoljivu štetu koja joj se nanosi.

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Following the excessive pollution of the oceans with plastics, a new species of mutant jellyfish has emerged—PETE Medusa. Named after the PETE plastic bottle that forms its torso, this fictional organism is a hybrid of synthetic waste and biological adaptation. Scientists have observed that many plastic bottles drifting in the ocean have developed plastic tentacles, capable of detecting the presence of living organisms. In response to human proximity, these tentacles emit luminous pulses, an eerie form of communication between artificial life and its creators.
Even more astonishingly, some of these mutant jellyfish have evolved a membrane resembling a primitive speaker at their top, activated by sensors within the tentacles. When humans approach, these speakers produce an unsettling sound, reminiscent of a Geiger counter—a device used to measure radiation. This auditory signal raises an alarming question: Are humans a greater threat to the planet than nuclear catastrophe?
PETE Medusa serves as both a speculative fiction and a stark critique of oceanic plastic pollution. Constructed from common PET plastic bottles, plastic optical fibers, LEDs, and small speakers, it embodies a paradoxical transformation—waste repurposed into an interactive, semi-living entity. This ironic evolution acts as a metaphor for nature’s forced adaptation to human environmental impact. The sculpture’s reactive sound and light elements symbolize a potential future in which nature develops mechanisms to respond—perhaps even resist—the relentless damage inflicted upon it.
Medusa Valley is an immersive interactive light and sound installation made with plastic
bottles, optical fibers, LEDs, wires, speakers, Arduino, and custom software, designed by
Yiannis Kranidiotis and ADAF festival and created with the participation of the audience. The
work responds to plastic pollution and ocean warming through a fictional species of mutant
jellyfish—the PETE Medusa. Named after the PETE plastic bottles, this hybrid of waste and
biology reacts to human presence with luminous pulses and eerie sounds, raising urgent
questions about humanity’s impact on the oceans. These jellyfish have “left the water,”
swarming on land to warn us about climate change and the transformations it imposes on
marine biodiversity. Jellyfish symbolize the unseen changes beneath the surface: rising
temperatures, plastic waste, and ecosystem collapse. Once rare along the Mediterranean
coastline, they now appear year-round, highlighting the dramatic effects of environmental
disruption. Constructed from everyday materials, the installation transforms waste into a
semi-living, interactive entity, representing nature’s forced adaptation to human pressures.
The work comes alive through audience participation, as each jellyfish is created in
workshops, allowing visitors to shape the artwork and become part of its ecosystem. This
collaborative act amplifies its message, prompting reflection on environmental crises and
inspiring imaginative solutions. Medusa Valley is not only to be seen but is a shared call to
action, an “underwater experience on land,” reminding us that our collective response will
shape the future of life above and below the waves.