Week 1 : Semster Recap

As school reopened this week, we were tasked to do a short recap and our progress towards the end of Semester two. To prepare this, I came up with a slide breaking down all the experiments and shared about what I am keen to move forward with.

Part ① : Developing alternative tools to reconnect urban dwellers with Nature

Prompted by the growing sense of separation between humans and nature, I developed Root-Watching as a digital platform to reimagine our connection to the natural world. This alternative web space invites users to observe and interpret tree imagery, drawing inspiration from the intricate forms of roots and branches to create collaborative, imaginative creatures.

Through this alternate web, it challenges the perception that nature exists apart from us. By engaging with organic forms in a digital context, users can explore their roles within the natural world, sparking curiosity and nurturing a sense of shared stewardship for our environment. Root-Watching serves as an invitation to reconnect with nature through play and creativity, offering a space where human imagination and the natural world seamlessly intertwine.

Part ② : Making a speculative prosthetic for a Tree

In an effort to spotlight technological implications on the agency of human senses, Madeline Schwartzman offers a fresh perspective on the concept of ‘prosthetics,’ reimagining them as tools and machines for extending and reshaping sensory perception. In her book, ‘See Yourself Sensing’, offers that definition with projects such as ‘Third Arm’ or ‘Can You Hear the Grass Growing’ as a way to spotlight alternative practices that encourage individuals to reconnect with their senses.

Therefore, this research aims to experiment and speculate a probable future that prosthetics might be necessary to restore our lost connection with our natural enviroment. It aims to create a prosthetic that reconnects people’s with their senses, foster connectedness with nature to serve as a subversive practice against the Dominant Social Paradigm that is driving a growing divide between nature and culture.

What if trees had prosthetics that allowed them to interact with people in a probable future where devices are essential for restoring our lost sensory connection to nature? How can we achieve this using sensors, acutators, and a bit of imagination ?