Forest of the Future sketch. Visitors interact with the automatic trees and systems to balance the dry conditions of the room.
Concept
The Forest of the future has different automated trees, root systems, and natural support networks similar to a real forest. The machines will try to control the extreme conditions of the room. The machines are not reliable, and not enough to solve the heat and dry conditions in the room, exposing the reality of many unattended communities that struggle with the consequences of climate change. The materials used on the machines for this installation are limited, representing the scarce resources of these communities.
Is the Forest of the Future as perfect as a natural forest? Are man-made systems working as perfectly as a natural forest? Can we recreate what we are destroying with technology? I want to invite visitors to walk through the Forest of the Future to reach their own conclusions.
Below, I present a prototype of the five machines designed for this installation, and the background sound created for this experience.
Machine: Artificial Xylem
It is a water filter that mimics the function of a xylem vessel. A xylem vessel is specialized to transport water and dissolved minerals from the root up to all the other parts of a plant.
Artificial Xylem is an element of Forest of the Future. It collects and showcases real data to inform the audiences about the effectiveness of the machine.
Visitor interaction sketch: Visitors could add or remove garbage out of the water source tank. Contaminated water passes through the tube “The Artificial Xylem”, and goes to a smaller water tank. Sensors in the water show if the water is clean.
This project is divided into four parts:
Research: xylem function, fabrication materials, community understanding, and data collection software.
Design: sketches, prototypes, and tests.
Fabrication: Implementation of design at a small scale.
Retrospective: Debrief and conclusions.
The research guided me in my design process to use simple materials that are accessible to the community. The materials could change depending on the community, but the Artificial Xylem becomes a reflection of the scarcity that the most affected communities present today.
Community Research in Monte Sinai in Guayaquil - Ecuador. Four families provided information about their living conditions.
First and second prototype: I observed the water pressure and the efficiency of the filter. the water looked clean there was no scientific proof of being drinkable. The pressure was very low.
My intention is not to create a perfect water filter, instead, it is a wake-up call about how the consequences of climate change are affecting us.
Collecting data with ph sensor. The ph sensor read the acidity of the East River Water - NYC, before and after passing through the Artificial Xylem. This test still does not prove that the water is drinkable, just clean and ph balance.
Background sound: The Story of a Forest
The Story of a Forest is a fourteen-minute soundtrack of mixed forest sounds. I produced a narrative told by the inhabitants of a forest, decentralizing the story by creating different perspectives. From the soothing sound of water, insects, and birds to moments of extreme pain and fear, destruction, and rebirth. The narrative is divided into three parts: The splendor of Nature, Running out of Home, and The Rebirth.
At the beginning of the soundtrack, the story tells us about a forest with different insects, animals, and water. Some of the sounds appear and disappear through the narrative. Many of these sounds disappear after the sound of destruction created by machines, exposing the vulnerability of nature, the horror of destruction and loss, and the consequences of human actions. In the end, the story narrates new sounds that appear as a signal of hope and strength.
While visitors walk around the Forest of the Future and interact with the automated trees, they will hear the sounds of a real forest, juxtapositioning the end of nature with man-made technology.