Making invisible intelligence
something you can feel

Whispering Forest is a collaborative immersive installation that makes the invisible intelligence of mycelium networks something you can walk into and feel. A projection-mapped system tracks visitors via infrared and spreads moss-like growth across them as they move through the space. Handmade clay mushrooms with copper tops respond to touch, triggering root connections that spread between mushrooms as more are activated simultaneously. The soundscape, built by collaborators from real mushroom communication data, shifts as the space comes alive around you.

The concept came from a book about how mycelium networks influenced the design of Japan's rail system. I wanted to make that invisible intelligence something you could walk into and feel. I led the design, code, and physical wiring, while collaborators shaped the soundscape and hand-built the clay mushrooms. The hardest technical fight was calibrating the capacitive touch sensors, too sensitive and it broke the magic, not enough and nothing happened. We also pivoted early from object identification to infrared motion detection for the moss growth, which turned out to be the right call. It made the system feel more alive and less mechanical.