un_muting is exploring a possible union of tree, human and technology, without overcoming the essence of the tree. The core premise of the project is to get rid of the utilitarian approach to trees, and instead consider listening to them. In the proposal, not trees serve as a tool, but the technology. Which enables establishing a strong bond of kinship with trees.
The sensors created by the author mimic the hearing aid, which is able to capture tree conversations that are inaudible to us on a daily basis. Thanks to data processing, Karolina is able to translate these signals into sound, which in turn is the basis of our human communication.
Except the installation itself project contains the visual representation of nature. Here, technology comes as a collaborator one more time, as thanks to bigGAN algorithm author creates a living, morphing portraits of trees.
Un_muting captures and translates the elusive gestures of trees to humans, believing that by listening to trees, we can improve our weakened relationship with nature.
Can understanding non-human communication help us with collaborative survival in the age of the Anthropocene?
Tangled in our everyday lives, we seem to sink in capitalism. With the increase in our advantage as a species, our connection with nature and trees became looser and eventually enough to lose our bond.
By looking at network systems of trees, the author Karolina Metrak is wondering if in the future we could expand the concept of interspecies communication, and include trees into our dialogue.
