Artist Miya Ando’s Bioluminescent Leaves Emit a Soft Nighttime Glow

Japanese and Russian artist <a href="http://miyaando.com">Miya Ando</a> released 1,000 floating bioluminescent leaves on a Puerto Rican pond in a glorious site-specific installation that lasted just a single day. The leaves appear clear during the day and radiate a soft blue glow at night. The project was commissioned by Puerto Rico's <a href="http://fistart.org/miya-ando-to-present-obon-puerto-rico/">Fist Art Foundation</a>.

Miya Ando created this bioluminescent art installation for Puerto Rico

She coated 1,000 local ficus leaves with a non-toxic resin and phosphorescence

During the day the leaves appeared clear

They absorbed solar energy throughout the daytime hours

And at night, the leaves radiated a beautiful blue glow

The one day site-specific installation was named after the Japanese Obon Festival that honors the spirits of dead ancestors