Tim Collins and Reiko Goto spent two months of Spring 2024 at the Museums Quartier as Art & Ecology artists-in-residence. This video documents their experimental fieldwork with HAKOTO, a sensory instrument translating tree biochemical responses into sound, exploring the intricate dialogue between trees and their environment through light, carbon dioxide, temperature, and humidity.
May–June 2024
The Collins + Goto Studio explores how technology can extend our sensory experiences, helping us rethink our relationship with nature in the face of environmental change and climate instability. During our residency at the MuseumsQuartier (MQ) in Vienna, we embraced this opportunity to engage with European colleagues and delve into evolving ideas about forests, nature, and ecology. Our arrival coincided with the Climate Biennale, particularly the exhibition Into the Woods curated by Sophie Haslinger, and we were fortunate to engage with Katrin Hornek’s installation Testing Grounds at the Secession Gallery, which explored “atomic cultures.”
Journey to Vienna and Setting Up the Studio
We began our journey by ferrying into Amsterdam and driving across Europe, carrying two HAKOTO body instruments and an array of media and electronic equipment. HAKOTO transforms real-time data from trees—such as sunlight, photosynthesis, moisture, temperature, and respiration—into sound. Inspired by traditional Japanese Gagaku orchestras, the sound system translates the biochemical reactions of tree leaves into ephemeral auditory experiences. These interactions, subtle yet profound, transport the listener into a closer connection with the trees and the surrounding environment.
Our goal during this residency was to produce a publication and audio-visual documentation of our arboreal sampling, contributing to an ongoing dialogue about how technology enables empathetic exchanges between humans, trees, and the environment.
Artistic Exploration and Performance in Vienna
After exhibiting and performing with HAKOTO in Düsseldorf and Cologne, we arrived in Vienna eager to work with Austrian trees. We documented solo and duet performances, tuning the sound and refining the dramaturgy of the experience. We spent long days in Deutschwald and Naturpark Wüste Mannersdorf, field-testing HAKOTO and exploring the biochemical responses of trees to atmospheric conditions.
Our work in Vienna also included public events, such as a tour of Donauinsel with arts and ecology collaborators, and a walk through Lobau/Prater led by artist Isa Klee and an ecologist, organized by the Into the Woods exhibition team. These experiences deepened our understanding of Austrian forests, which are largely managed ecosystems planted with utilitarian intent a century ago, now transitioning toward ecological sustainability.
A highlight of this exploration came through a serendipitous encounter with a Goat moth (Cossus cossus) in the MQ courtyard. Reiko relocated the moth to safety, later learning it was connected to oak trees—a significant larval host. This small moment underscored the interconnectedness of life and became a personal touchstone for our understanding of Austrian forest ecology.
A Dialogue with Living Things
This residency reminded us of the profound interconnection between humans, trees, and other living beings. As we wrote in A Dialogue with Living Things (2012):
Trees shade the streams, knit the soils in steep banks, trees clear the air and cool the hottest days. Trees have a significant impact; they are a formidable aesthetic presence in all lives. As LIVING things, they conduct an exquisite discourse with the sun and air, pumping moisture from the soil to the sky; they provide structure and shelter and serve as both refuge and provision for many others. They benefit all as a condition… of being and inter-being.
Expanding the Dialogue: Artificial Bog Intelligence
During the residency, we also began developing Artificial Bog Intelligence (ABI), supported by colleagues in New York and Glasgow. This interdisciplinary project centers on the boglands of Ireland, integrating Irish history, public policy, and ecology with AI to create a dialogue about shifting relationships between people and bogs. Through a collaborative process of writing and programming, ABI evolved to produce haiku-renga poetry and illustrative animations, culminating in an installation displayed across four monitors. View the animation here.
Reflections and Future Plans
While our time in Vienna laid a strong foundation, we recognized the need for further exploration to fully understand Austrian forestry policies and ecology. Perhaps we will return to Vienna to deepen this work. For now, the Goat moth has given us a new way to approach oak biodiversity, and our residency marks another step forward in our ongoing commitment to bridging art, technology, and ecological understanding.
View documentation of HAKOTO-Wien 2024: https://vimeo.com/1037883795.
Learn more about our MQ residency and other projects: https://collinsandgoto.com/exhibitions/leer-exhibition/.