Track from
Symbiosis/\Dysbiosis: Sentience
Scene One: MOTH
THE GUESTS FIND THEY HAVE EMERGED FROM CHRYSALIS WITHIN A DENSE FOREST. STRANGE SOUNDS AND LOW-FREQUENCIES SURROUND THEM. A DENSE FOG FILLS THE AREA. AS THE GUESTS COME TO TERMS WITH THEIR NEW SURROUNDINGS, THEY HEAR SINGING-LIKE SOUNDS NOT TOO FAR FROM WHERE THEY STAND THAT DRAW THEIR ATTENTION TO THEIR RIGHT. FLOATING IN THE AIR IS A GIANT SILK MOTH TURNING TO FACE THE GUESTS. THE MOTH'S LARGE BLACK EYES GLEAM AS THEIR ANTLER-LIKE ANTENNAE GENTLY TURN.
(surprised to see humans emerging from their chrysalis, Moth wonders aloud)
"...How have YOU come to be?"
Moth is still slightly confused by these visitors and their sudden appearance; Moth is curious and mumbles a bit to themselves, recognizing that the Guests are Human.
MOTH
"Well, you are an invasive species after all…"
Moth's head tilts as they survey the situation and speak to the Humans,
"We are invasive here... We are not meant for here, yet here we are.
The forest needs you to SEE.
The forest…. We don't have much time."
A thrumming can be heard and felt by the Humans.
The Moth's upper set of hands makes a tree form in the air above the humans.
"You must locate the Great Tree. We can take you below.
Look for sounds..."
-Moth's multiple hands move in a circular pattern-
"...They may appear like this..."
Moth gestures -the Humans see glyphs above Moth's hands while a pleasant tone is heard. The Moth's 3rd eye begins to glow.
"Look for them as they may help you... We are all connected."
Pointing at the Humans with one hand while sweeping upward with another hand and pointing to the left with one of their other hands, Moth tells the Humans,
"You must climb The Steps of Ganoderma to enter the Queendom to
find the Mycelial Entity. She will help you see."
Moth carefully studies each of the Humans,
"Will you do this?"
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Track from
Symbiosis/\Dysbiosis: Sentience
Scene One: MOTH
THE GUESTS FIND THEY HAVE EMERGED FROM CHRYSALIS WITHIN A DENSE FOREST. STRANGE SOUNDS AND LOW-FREQUENCIES SURROUND THEM. A DENSE FOG FILLS THE AREA. AS THE GUESTS COME TO TERMS WITH THEIR NEW SURROUNDINGS, THEY HEAR SINGING-LIKE SOUNDS NOT TOO FAR FROM WHERE THEY STAND THAT DRAW THEIR ATTENTION TO THEIR RIGHT. FLOATING IN THE AIR IS A GIANT SILK MOTH TURNING TO FACE THE GUESTS. THE MOTH'S LARGE BLACK EYES GLEAM AS THEIR ANTLER-LIKE ANTENNAE GENTLY TURN.
(surprised to see humans emerging from their chrysalis, Moth wonders aloud)
"...How have YOU come to be?"
Moth is still slightly confused by these visitors and their sudden appearance; Moth is curious and mumbles a bit to themselves, recognizing that the Guests are Human.
MOTH
"Well, you are an invasive species after all…"
Moth's head tilts as they survey the situation and speak to the Humans,
"We are invasive here... We are not meant for here, yet here we are.
The forest needs you to SEE.
The forest…. We don't have much time."
A thrumming can be heard and felt by the Humans.
The Moth's upper set of hands makes a tree form in the air above the humans.
"You must locate the Great Tree. We can take you below.
Look for sounds..."
-Moth's multiple hands move in a circular pattern-
"...They may appear like this..."
Moth gestures -the Humans see glyphs above Moth's hands while a pleasant tone is heard. The Moth's 3rd eye begins to glow.
"Look for them as they may help you... We are all connected."
Pointing at the Humans with one hand while sweeping upward with another hand and pointing to the left with one of their other hands, Moth tells the Humans,
"You must climb The Steps of Ganoderma to enter the Queendom to
find the Mycelial Entity. She will help you see."
Moth carefully studies each of the Humans,
"Will you do this?"
Forest UnderSound is an invitation to consider the sentience of fungi. Sentience is the ability to perceive one’s environment, and experience sensations such as pain and suffering, or pleasure and comfort. Many countries acknowledge animal sentience, and animal’s ability to experience pain, fear, distress, hunger, and thirst, in their laws, which are designed to protect animals from such suffering. In 1997, the European Union agreed to recognize animals as sentient beings under European law.
Animals and fungi share a common ancestor and branched away from plants at some point aproximately 1.1 billion years ago. It was only later that animals and fungi separated on the genealogical tree of life, making fungi more closely related to humans than plants.
For Forest UnderSound, mycelium from Ganoderma lucidum (Reishi/Lingzhi) and Pleurotus ostreatus (oyster mushrooms), along with mycorrhizal fungi growing and connecting within the roots of various plants has been cultivated.
Both the plant roots and mycelium have electrodes connected to them that send biodata into purpose-built circuits, which detect micro-fluctuations in conductivity between 1,000-100,000 of a second. This biodata is then translated in realtime to control analog and digital synthesizers. Empirically, when fully connected and music is being generated, Mycelium consistently generates periodic patterns that are both enigmatic but also very musical. For reasons that I do not fully understand, Mycelium reacts to the proximity of some people more than others. Growing more frenetic or more harmonic or completely silent, when humans are present.
For the first iteration of Forest UnderSound fungi and plants will be allowed to grow over approximately 7 months, creating a real-time fungi forest soundscape. The soundscape will change over the seasons as the fungi and plants grow. During the 2021 Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall this soundscape will be recorded. Recordings take place on each of the 4 equinoxes.
With support from: The Ontario Arts Council • A Space Gallery, Toronto • The Museum, Kitchener Ontario
Midnight Mushroom Music
Track from
Symbiosis/\Dysbiosis: Sentience
Scene One: MOTH
THE GUESTS FIND THEY HAVE EMERGED FROM CHRYSALIS WITHIN A DENSE FOREST. STRANGE SOUNDS AND LOW-FREQUENCIES SURROUND THEM. A DENSE FOG FILLS THE AREA. AS THE GUESTS COME TO TERMS WITH THEIR NEW SURROUNDINGS, THEY HEAR SINGING-LIKE SOUNDS NOT TOO FAR FROM WHERE THEY STAND THAT DRAW THEIR ATTENTION TO THEIR RIGHT. FLOATING IN THE AIR IS A GIANT SILK MOTH TURNING TO FACE THE GUESTS. THE MOTH'S LARGE BLACK EYES GLEAM AS THEIR ANTLER-LIKE ANTENNAE GENTLY TURN.
(surprised to see humans emerging from their chrysalis, Moth wonders aloud)
"...How have YOU come to be?"
Moth is still slightly confused by these visitors and their sudden appearance; Moth is curious and mumbles a bit to themselves, recognizing that the Guests are Human.
MOTH
"Well, you are an invasive species after all…"
Moth's head tilts as they survey the situation and speak to the Humans,
"We are invasive here... We are not meant for here, yet here we are.
The forest needs you to SEE.
The forest…. We don't have much time."
A thrumming can be heard and felt by the Humans.
The Moth's upper set of hands makes a tree form in the air above the humans.
"You must locate the Great Tree. We can take you below.
Look for sounds..."
-Moth's multiple hands move in a circular pattern-
"...They may appear like this..."
Moth gestures -the Humans see glyphs above Moth's hands while a pleasant tone is heard. The Moth's 3rd eye begins to glow.
"Look for them as they may help you... We are all connected."
Pointing at the Humans with one hand while sweeping upward with another hand and pointing to the left with one of their other hands, Moth tells the Humans,
"You must climb The Steps of Ganoderma to enter the Queendom to
find the Mycelial Entity. She will help you see."
Moth carefully studies each of the Humans,
"Will you do this?"
