Creature Feature: Voice of Nature

Dutch artist Thijs Biersteker want to visualize the growth response of a living tree, so viewers could appreciate its life force in real time. Trees log their growth activity in their trunks in the form of annual growth rings, but a comprehensible record of a tree's responses to its environment take time. In the case of trees reacting to global climate change, humans do not have that luxury. So, the artist hooked up a Japanese cinnamon tree growing in Chengdu, China to 1600 sensors that monitor environmental condition such as moisture, temperature, CO2 level and air quality. His installation is part of a month long art festival entitled "Light Up Bashu". The sensor data is processed by an algorithm that projects "instant" growth rings--one every second--on a circular screen behind the tree, giving viewers a artistic comprehension of the living organism's response to its environment. Slow growth produces tightly spaced rings, while rapid growth produces pulses of evenly spaced concentric curves. Disturbances in conditions, such as smog, produces textured, complex designs. Viewers can be seen touching the tree to see if their connection produces an image on the screen. Enjoy Biersteker's "Voice of Nature"