CONNECTIONS

Public Art Installation. 2025.

CONNECTIONS is an interactive installation that uses a grove of aspen trees as a metaphor to express our kinship. Participants see a compelling question projected on a wall, with a forest of trees holding shared thoughts, words and experiences, their connected roots visible.

Drawing closer, they see text running along the trunks of the trees - each tree is someone’s answer to the question. There is a microphone with an inviting blue button; participants hold down the button to speak their answer to the question. When they finish, a new root playfully extends from an existing tree to grow a new tree. The translated text of their answer animates along the trunk. Over time, the trees fade into the background and new questions arise, creating an ever evolving experience.

Although we perceive ourselves and members of our community as individuals, in reality we are all interconnected. Similarly, aspen trees are a single organism, connected underground via their root system, even though we perceive them as individual trees aboveground.

The surprise and delight of the animated trees, considering and answering a deep question, and reading other people’s answers, all work together to create a meaningful and connecting experience for participants.

Components

Computer, projector, microphone, button, internet connection.

Made with TouchDesigner and OpenAI for speech to text.

Dimensions

Variable. As pictured: 36’ w x 12’ h.

Premiered at IMMERSE Fest in Downtown Orlando, on February 21-22, 2025 in the newly renovated FORDify the Arts Courtyard at CityArts Orlando.

Exhibitions

2025 – IMMERSE Fest, Orlando, FL

Credits

Creative City Project produced IMMERSE Fest and supported CONNECTIONS with equipment rental, setup and teardown, and an artists fee. CityArts Orlando provided the FORDify the Arts Courtyard as the venue and additional time and support for setup and teardown. Special thanks to Holly Hodges, Matthew Umbers, Sarah Fry, Melyssa Marshall, Barbara Hartley and 4Wall for helping bring CONNECTIONS to life. Thanks to Torin Blankensmith for the OpenAI Whisper OP, and Derivative, Bileam Tschepe, The Interactive & Immersive HQ and Matthew Ragan for great TouchDesigner tutorials (this was my first TouchDesigner project).

Funding

Supported in part by Creative City Project and CityArts Orlando.