(Possible
The categorization system that labels species as native/non-native/invasive also defines what belongs here and what does not, what is desirable and what is unwelcome. How has this system shaped our feelings toward certain kinds of life, and how does it govern our relationships with other beings and the environment?
These questions open onto others: How might we imagine interspecies dialogue differently? What could serve as a tangible tool for such encounters? And is dialogue itself necessary, or does this desire risk reproducing existing hierarchies and power dynamics?
During the workshop, we built our own electronic tool to help us imagine this encounter differently: a synthesizer sensitive to moisture and to the resistivity of organic matter. With it, we stepped outside to explore possible interactions with invasive plants and other living beings in the urban environment.
The design of this synthesizer is based on the intricate tunnels bark beetles carve beneath the bark of trees as they feed and lay their eggs. In weakened or stressed forests, their populations can surge. I came to know them through Monika Dorniak’s research. (Thank you Monika)
Supported by Baltan Laboratories, as a part of the Nature-Technology workshop series