Exhibition

«The Dancing Forest» project is the study of the relationship between two types of non-human agents. The first agent is a section of coniferous forest located 37 km into the Curonian Spit National Park (Kaliningrad Region, Russia). The peculiarity of this area is its inclined and curved trunks of pine trees growing there. Trees of such shape are not found everywhere in the park, but only in a specific part of it. One of the possible reasons for this anomaly experts call the particular features of local geomagnetic fields – the magnetic forces of the Earth, which are present everywhere, affect everything, although barely noticeable to humans. These magnetic forces of the Earth embody the second participant of the imaginary metaphysical dance. Within the framework of our research, we created a map of the geomagnetic activity of this area of the national park and made portable devices with which we visualized the electrical activity of the trees and the Earth's magnetic field. The Dancing Forest project is an interaction of data streams, which, in addition to the non-human entities themselves, also reflect the relations that exist between them. This is an image of movement and encounter, where everything is interconnected and indissoluble.

Place

Museum
«The Whaler's House»,
Kaliningrad, Prospekt Mira, 9-11

Dates

28.10.2022
30.11.2022

The project was realized in collaboration with Alexander Konshen (programming). In cooperation with the Cybres Center for Advanced Robotics (Stuttgart), The Forpost Baltic Plus company (Kaliningrad), The Baltic Higher School of Music and Theatre (Kaliningrad), The Curonian Spit National Park (Kaliningrad), The «Signal» Cultural Space (Kaliningrad). The project was realized within the «(non)Residency Contiguity» program of the Institute of Contemporary Art (Lviv) and Cirkulacija2 (Ljubljana).

Curator of the project: Sergey Mikhailov

Opening times

Monday to Sunday
10.00 — 19.00

Project

video

The authors

speak

Within the framework of our research, we created a map of the geomagnetic activity of this area of the national park. For this purpose, we turned to the specialists at the Forpost Baltic Plus company. This organization is engaged in technical exploration and magnetometric work. For the magnetic survey of the Dancing Forest, we used fluxgate magnetometers, which allow for non-penetrating measurement of the magnetic field.

For best results, we applied the magnetic field gradient method. This is a measurement of the magnetic field in the areas that have an increased magnetic susceptibility relative to the main layer.

Local anomalies are usually associated with a high content of magnetic minerals of biochemical origin or with the presence of iron-containing rocks. Due to the change in magnetic properties, there is a contrast in the values of the magnetic field, which is recorded during gradient shooting.

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We are trying to find
an approach
in which non-human entities would act as equal participants
in the interaction.

The data obtained this way is informative and allows for easier search of small-sized anomalies. In addition, if there are some foreign bodies or, for example, metal objects, the contrast is more visible and this data can also be evaluated.

We used the results of the magnetic survey to create a three-dimensional map and made a mock-up of the Dancing Forest geomagnetic activity using a 3D printer. This mock-up and the distribution of the field by the heights of the survey shows how the magnetic field changes in this section of the park. Later, we will need this information when analyzing features and structure of the local geomagnetic fields.

We were very interested in the plasticity of the trees of the Dancing Forest. These pines seem to have frozen in a dance – their trunks twist, bifurcate and even bend into a ring.

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This approach would
be able to generate
a reality,
in which autonomy
and creativity
would not be considered only human attributes.

In our work, we use an intelligent system for collecting data and monitoring plant life. This system has biopotential analyzers, various sensors and environmental sensors.

Devices of this type can be used to measure the electrophysiology of plants and trees, as well as to analyze the reaction of biological objects to external stimuli.

Such a task arises when we need to identify ultra-small changes caused by the influence of the environment. This system is used as a tool in the laboratory of the Cybres Center for Advanced Robotics and in various bio-hybrid devices.

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The aim of the project
is not only to describe combinations of objects,
but to draw attention
to the connections
and breaks between them.

We also made special equipment for our project: portable devices that are attached to the trees of the Dancing Forest. They form a single system with an autonomous real-time data transmission module.

The information received from the sensors of the system is sent to the screen and its properties are determined by changes in the electrical activity of the trees and indicators of the Earth's magnetic field.

The Dancing Forest project is an interaction of data streams, which, in addition to the non-human entities themselves, also reflect the relations that exist between them. This is an image of movement and encounter, where everything is interconnected and indissoluble. It is this model that leads to the emergence of new composite structures in the world.

Events

Dmitry Bulatov

is an artist, researcher and art theorist. His artworks have been presented in various exhibitions such as 49th and 50th Venice Biennale (2001, 2003), Ars Electronica (2002) and others. Author of books and anthologies, including BioMediale (2004), Evolution Haute Couture (Vol.1-2, 2009-13). A twice winner of the National Innovation Award for contemporary arts (2008, 2013).

About

the Authors

is an artist, architect. He is one of the leading Russian specialists in the field of Augmented Reality. He has taken part in various international exhibitions and festivals such as PRAGUEBIENNALE 3 (Prague, 2007); Venice Biennale 52 (GINNUNGAGAP, Venice, 2007) and others. In 2008, he was appointed laureate of the 2013 AR Metaio Developer Competition (Germany).

Alexey Chebykin