Between the Winds, Amongst the Roots:
Bio-Sensing the City

Artists: Gregory Herbert, Shelly Knotts.

Curator: Polina Chizhova-Wright.

The exhibition “Between the Winds, Amongst the Roots: Bio-Sensing the City” explores what we can learn about cities from natural data. Drawing from the concept of “Planetary Intelligence” proposed by James Bridle, the selected works collaborate with lichens and soil through durational and situated observation, utilising natural and technological sensors as ways of collating knowledge from non-human city dwellers.

Techno-centric approaches tend to promise a greener future thanks to the use of new technologies, yet conversely technology is becoming one of the biggest drivers of extractive practices, from resource usage to energy consumption and waste generation. “Between the Winds, Amongst the Roots: Bio-Sensing the City” explores other ways of relating technological practices to the natural environment. On the one hand, “Winnowing Phase” by Gregory Herbert presents a collaborative approach with both communities and the natural environment, where lichens replace device-based sensors to understand pollution levels in the environment. On the other hand, “EarthCycles” by Shelly Knotts explores the sensing knowledge contained in a patch of soil in a city garden through permacomputing, a practice that embraces a low-energy approach to promote a more sustainable use of computing.

Together, the works articulate alternative propositions for the “smart” city, which emphasise the interconnectivity between humans and the environment and foster a more balanced relation between natural and technological ways of knowing.

Presented on the LED Façade of the School of Digital Arts (SODA), “Between the Winds and Amongst the Roots: Bio-Sensing the City” takes place in the public realm, inviting the passers-by to rethink the role of human and non-human communities in urban spaces, extending the conceptual framework of the city.

With thanks to Dr Gulsen Bal, Dr Richard Morton and LUDeC.