THE WOOD WIDE WEB
Nature as a Master of Communication Intelligence
Beneath the forest floor, a silent world thrums with life.
This is the mycelial network—a system that connects trees, shares resources, and nourishes entire ecosystems. This ancient web is more than a natural curiosity; it is a blueprint for the fundamental patterns that shape existence. From the neural pathways of the human brain to the cosmic filaments stretching across the universe, these patterns of connection echo across every scale—even in the architecture of artificial intelligence.
The Wood Wide Web invites you to look deeper: beneath the soil, at the structures we build, and into the vast language models of AI. Through this exhibition, roots, neurons, and networks reveal themselves as the shared language of life. These connections are more than metaphors; they form a living framework that adapts to challenges, cultivates resilience, and drives innovation.
In this journey, nature’s ancient intelligence meets the boundless possibilities of AI in a dialogue. Here, you are not just an observer but an active participant in the networks that shape life and transcend boundaries. The Wood Wide Web offers a fresh perspective, inviting you to see AI not as separate from nature but as inspired by it.
Witness the quiet wisdom of mycelium, a reminder that innovations like AI can honor and amplify the systems that have always existed. Remember: you are part of the conversation, invited to listen, question, and connect with the timeless bond between nature and technology.
Mycelium Avatar
Listen to the voice of nature
This installation features a talking Avatar, your guide to the hidden world of mycelium—an underground network that connects plants and shares resources. The Avatar draws striking parallels between the intricate networks of life beneath our feet and the expansive, interconnected systems of artificial intelligence. Just as mycelium functions as the natural world’s neural network, AI connects and transforms information in the digital realm, creating innovative pathways for understanding and discovery.
Visitors are invited to engage with the Avatar directly. Powered by a custom-designed language model trained on themes of nature, biodiversity, and ecology, the Avatar listens, learns, and responds in real time. This interactive experience offers a fresh perspective on the symbiotic relationship between organic and artificial networks; and the end result is a compelling glimpse of AI as an adaptive, collaborative force.
Technology: Custom ComBox language model with speech interaction (speech-to-text, text-to-speech, lip-sync) technologies and capabilities
Mycelial Cosmos
Be a part of something bigger
Nature weaves patterns across every scale, from the fractal growth of mycelium to the vast structures of the cosmos and the intricate networks of the human brain. These extraordinary patterns link seemingly unrelated systems. Mycelial Cosmos draws inspiration from this shared language, uncovering how mycelial networks, neural pathways, and cosmic structures reflect one another in profound ways.
In this installation, four towering screens surround you in a captivating display of transformation. As you move, cameras track your silhouette, transforming it into glowing, branching patterns using advanced AI. Inspired by the behavior of physarum polycephalum, a slime mold renowned for its complex, efficient networks, these visuals evoke galactic filaments and neural pathways. A sophisticated tracking system maps your movements, seamlessly connecting you with other participants and the evolving artwork.
Mycelial Cosmos demonstrates how individual actions ripple through collective systems, mirroring the way mycelium and digital networks connect, adapt, and sustain ecosystems.
Technology: Real-time silhouette tracking and interactive AI-generated visuals
The Wood Wide Web
Feel the pulse
The Wood Wide Web highlights the lessons we can learn from nature’s oldest and most efficient communication system: mycelium. The cascading roots of The Wood Wide Web are reflected endlessly in mirrored surfaces, much like how mycelium is mirrored in the neural connections of the human brain, the structure of the universe, and the architecture of AI networks.
The LED strips on the roots transform the space into a living analogy for neural and data networks. Pulses of light travel through the strips, symbolizing data transmission in both biological and artificial systems. Cameras track visitors’ movements, converting their positions into shifting light patterns. Each step alters the intensity and pathways of the lights, turning the ceiling’s root-like structure into a dynamic, responsive system.
Ultimately, The Wood Wide Web invites you to explore the connections between nature, the human brain, and artificial intelligence through the lens of communication networks.
Technology: Camera-linked addressable LED strips
Echo of the Underworld
Be in touch with nature
Echo of the Underworld is made from a real tree with roots embedded with sensors that respond to touch. Each interaction awakens the tree’s memory, transforming your gesture into a new element of the sound and light symphony. The acoustic fragments, shaped by a trained neural network, are drawn from field recordings collected where the tree once grew.
The responsive soundscape begins with soft, earthy tones inspired by the subtle rhythms of life beneath the soil. As participants engage, the audio evolves, weaving in celestial chimes and digital pulses, seamlessly blending the organic and technological. Synchronized LED patterns enhance this immersive journey, where each touch becomes a moment of co-creation. Your presence shapes the light and sound, reflecting the symbiosis of human, nature, and machine—a sensory dialogue that transcends words.
Technology: Neural network trained on geophone recordings of the original environment, LED strips synchronized with sound and movement, sensors and audio-visual programming for real-time feedback
