During a two-month residency (May-June) at the Dogoresidency for New Arts Lichtensteig, St. Gallen, we developped an immersive spatial experience that plays with different senses. Viewers move between installed branches, which originate from the surrounding forestsof Lichtensteig. At the same time, the auditory senses of the viewers are stimulated with a halfhour spherical 5-channel sound installation.
The sounds for this were recorded in the surrounding forests of Lichtensteig, Brunnadern and Wattwil - partly they were changed, partly we left them in their original, clear sounds. The sound installations climax is an audio essay about the incredible cooperation of living beings in the forest ecosystem. The essay describes the unique characteristics of plants and their ability to survive through decentralization. Unlike animals, plants do not avoid problems, but actively solve them through their decentralized body structure and ability to adapt. The interaction of plants and fungi in mycorrhizal networks demonstrates the importance of cooperation
and resource allocation in the ecosystem. This concept can serve as inspiration to think about decentralized organization and cooperation in human society. Throughout the sound installation, animations are projected on the floor, which gradually evolve and can be traced as mycelium.