Daniel Zea
Sound Mycelium (2019)
Sound Installation for the Botanical Garden in Bern (3 Arduinos, humidity, temperature, light and muscle sensors, 240 loudspeakers)

More than 200 loudspeakers are scattered between the plants. In each of the three green houses, temperature, humidity, pressure and luminosity are continuously mesured by a set of sensors. This data is being sent to the main computer in Succulentenhaus. All this information is used to control the sound synthesis that is being generated in real time. For example, if temperature or humidity increase, the sound will travel faster around the space. The luminosity controls the frequency of the sound as well as the amount and size of its granulation.


These relationships create a sound ecosystem meant to be a metaphore of the Mycelium, an underground funghi network that plants use to communicate. During the performance, the musicians enter this ecosystem influencing the whole behaviour not only with the sound of their instruments, but with the biometric data of sensors placed on their bodies.