T54. Hybrid Herbarium: Cyanotype & AI Cartographies with paula roush

In this advanced workshop, participants will engage in a full cycle that combines field ecology, analogue cyanotype printing, AI image synthesis, and experimental publishing. The methodology connects environmental observation with photographic and editorial processes in a single integrated workflow.The day begins with a collective dérive to a nearby vacant lot or post-industrial margin, where participants gather spontaneous urban plants and compose cyanotypes on large pre-sensitised textiles under sunlight. The emphasis is on recognizing the agency of plants, light, and place in shaping the image.After rinsing and drying the textiles indoors, the afternoon session introduces a project-specific AI prompt protocol to generate hybrid images merging botanical forms, architectural blueprints, and cyanotype textures. Participants create algorithmic territorial abstractions that reflect on vacancy, memory, and post-industrial landscapes.The workshop concludes with experimental micro-publishing, producing concertina booklets or poster zines that combine analogue cyanotypes with AI-generated imagery. The final stage completes a workflow that moves from terrain to plant, from analogue print to algorithmic image, and finally to editorial form.

Outline
Session 1: Morning

1. Introduction: hybrid methodology, safety notes, and pre-sensitised fabrics
2. Fieldwalk and plant gathering in a nearby vacant lot, with reflection on ecological resilience and industrial memory
3. Site preparation: laying out textiles and managing light exposure
4. Composition with collected plants and solar exposure
5. Return indoors, rinsing and drying of textiles, observation of Prussian blue

Session 2: Afternoon

1. Introduction to the AI protocol: datasets, prompting strategies, and interpretation of post-industrial ecologies
2. Image generation: creating hybrid territorial abstractions
3. Editing and selection, basic printing
4. Experimental micro-publishing: folding structures and combining AI images with cyanotype documentation
5. Final meeting, presentations, group reflection, and documentation