ZOE is a temporary co-existence between reishi mushrooms and a custom-made robotic system

2 – 5 November 2022

Welcome to Our Guesthouse, Productiehuis Theater Rotterdam / NL

INFO & TICKETS

23 June 2023

Media Architecture Bienale Award Toronto / CA

INFO 

6-10 September 2023

Theme Exhibition: (Co)Owning More than Truth , Ars Electronica Festival 2023 / AT

INFO & TICKETS

 

DATACARPETS & RESEARCH EXHIBITIONS

25 Jan – 16 Feb 2024
Radical Matter Exhibition, AIL Vienna / AT
INFO

12 Feb – 31 May 2024
SheRobots, Ecologies of Care
TU Delft / NL
INFO 

10 May – 26 May 2024
Becoming Mycelial, KH7 Artspace Aarhus / DK

21 June – 7 July 2024
Kuandu Museum of Fine Arts / TW

Process of ZOE
LIVE STREAM ZOE 
28-10-2022 – 05-01-2022

 

ZOE is a temporary co-existence between reishi mushrooms and a custom-made robotic system. Noor Stenfert Kroese and Amir Bastan explore the possibilities of internal communication between a robotic system and reishi with ZOE. Within this seeming paradox between nature and technology, an ecosystem occurs that cares for and affects each other through sensing technologies. It continues on to research the interaction and unknown communication within fungal mycelia networks. 

 

ZOE uses sensors to collect data from the environment as well as the mycelium of the reishi. It uses this data to create the internal communication between the reishi and the robotic system. The reishi and their behaviour define what the robotic system does and the robotic system influences the shape of the light-sensitive reishi mushrooms. Over time, this influence sculpts the shape of the fruiting bodies of the reishi as a reflection of their ecosystem. The data is used in the space to create a sensory experience to explore this unknown communication. Finally, the data-carpets are created from the daily collected data from reishi in relation to their environment to see if we could experience any correlation between them. These tactile data visualisations explore the outcome and the unknown communication going on in this temporary co-existence.

 

ZOE is the first step in an ongoing research called Mycobotics. This research focuses on the possibilities of biocomputing with fungi through robotics and other than human-computer interaction. We focus on technical and narrative aspects to create an environment for meaningful collaboration, using timelines, state machines and behavioural trees. We explore the intricate connections between human and non-human entities and the role of data in shaping these interactions. We use industrial robots and their quality of repetition and precision as the interface to reconsider the dynamics between technology and nature, encompassing both human and non-human aspects. 

Credits

In collaboration with Amir Bastan

Produced by Productiehuis Theater Rotterdam ( ACT : Art, Climate & Transition ) in coproduction with Creative Robotics, KUKA, Fashion and Robotics. and Mushroom Research Center Austria.

With many thanks to Emma Boots, Nynke Joustra,Melih Gençboyaci, Hasan Gök, Hein van Leeuwen, John Thijssen,Peter Leeuwenburg, Axel Dikkers,Johannes Braumann, Manuel Stüttler, Mark Stüttler, Michael Schneider, Johann Wastian, Ars Electronica Center Biolab

Photography Bart Grietens 
Camera Huub Laurens
Montage Noor Stenfert Kroese

ZOE is part of ACT: Art, Climate, Transition, a European cooperation project on ecology, climate change and social transition. In an era of climate breakdown, pandemics, mass extinction and growing inequalities, we join our forces in a project on hope: connecting broad perspectives with specific, localised possibilities, ones that invite or demand that we ACT.

COMIC BY FLOOR DE GOEDE