“We Are All Connected” began with the observation that natural objects can act as circuit connectors. While experimenting with materials such as leaves, flowers, and fruit peels, the team experienced the conductivity of the ground and discovered that living plants are also capable of conducting electricity. This led to a central question: could the natural world be engaged as a third participant in an interactive installation, beyond the one to one interaction between a person and an object?
This idea evolved into a musical electronic installation that functions like a harp, playing birdsong and ambient sounds recorded around Via Astino. The bird sounds are triggered through a Makey Makey board by reprogramming a preexisting app for music sampling.
To build the installation, the team chose to use ribbons made of conductive fabric. Chestnuts collected from the surrounding area were perforated and suspended with metal wire between the conductive ribbons, adding weight and increasing the tactile impact when the ribbons are tapped. The system was grounded through the living bark of a shrub beneath the installation, directly connecting the circuit to the earth.
The installation was designed to be activated not only by people passing through CIID’s exhibition space, but also by the movement of nearby plant branches responding to the wind. Human participants and natural elements alike interact with the ribbons and chestnuts, completing the Makey Makey circuit and triggering birdsong as auditory feedback.
The project revealed the potential of designing interactions where nature is not merely a backdrop, but an active participant. This perspective became one of the team’s most meaningful takeaways: interaction design can extend beyond human-centered experiences to include living systems as collaborators.
