Output details

Clockwork Forest

<29> Shoben, the founder of Greyworld, originated the idea and was involved in all aspects of the project’s conceptualisation and implementation. Clockwork Forest is a permanent installation, commissioned by the Forestry Commission as part of the Sculpture Trail in Grizedale Forest in Cumbria. This work is part of Greyworld’s ongoing project of using digital technology to transform people’s relationship with public space. It consists of six generative digital systems that simulate old-fashioned sound boxes and are installed in trees throughout the forest. Each tree contains a large key, which when wound, triggers a sound (music or story fragment) to emerge from the tree. This is part of Greyworld’s project of using computational art to change people’s relationship to public spaces. The keys make the trees into interactive objects and plays on the mystery of forests that lock-up deep social memories and secrets. This is an electrical and digital simulation of clockwork, manually-powered and self-sustaining. The structures consist of constant spring motors that act as dc generators that are powered by the action of winding the tree. The electricity powers a solid-state audio-file player that chooses which tracks to play using a generative algorithm that is responsive to activity, and time-of-day. AI techniques, developed through Goldsmiths EU Framework projects, ensure coherent narrative experiences. Shoben did research with tree specialists to ensure that the inserted devices would not harm the living trees. The installation is permanent in Grizedale Forest (installed in 2011) and has also temporarily shown at the Illuminate Bath Festival, in January 2012. Another instance of this work has been commissioned by a small forest just outside of Moscow, to open in 2014. The installation was nominated for the Marsh Award for Excellence for Public Art. It has also featured twice in BBC television programmes, including Countryfile.