by Thalia Godbout, Joseph Lawlor, Joshuah Shillingford, and Anne Vu
Inspired by the subterranean mycorrhizal networks that enable communication within communities of plants and trees, Fungus Among Us playfully explores how we can make visible the hidden, subsurface links that connect us when we’re apart. By looking at the symbiotic relationship between fungi and plants, we might learn more about the symbiotic relationships we share with each other, how we build connections, and the way that our roots interweave to create new meanings for our interactions.
Four mushrooms sit in separate locations surrounding a mysterious Mycelium object. By touching the capacitive sensors on each mushroom, people separated by distance can connect and interact with each other to build a light display. Using Shiftr, signals from each mushroom’s capacitive sensors are sent to the central Mycelium object. As the participants touch their mushrooms in different ways, the Mycelium is illuminated from within by an array of LEDs, allowing distributed participants to interact through light as the colours mix and combine to diffuse through the fungal threads. Each participant can observe the Mycelium while they interact with each other through its illuminations, watching as it transforms with each touch and weaves the participants’ interactions together to create something new.
Thalia Godbout is a 4th year Computer Science student at York University focusing on UI/UX design and computer accessibility, with interests in exploring interactive installation and critical making.
Joe Lawlor (Hons BA Psychology 1979) returns to York after a long career at Canada’s national broadcaster in technical roles. Thanks to York University he continues to make and break things in the pursuit of his interest in new technologies.
Joshuah Shillingford is a 4th year Digital Media Student who is good at 3D animation, 3D modelling, video editing, creating illustrations using Photoshop & Illustrator and mixing audio using Mixcraft.
An Vu is a 2nd year Digital Media student at York University who is specialising in Digital Media Development and currently engaging in the connection between art and the hidden complexity of our environment.
For inquiries regarding this initiative, please contact:
Mark-David Hosale, Ph.D. – mdhosale@yorku.ca
Associate Professor and Chair, Computational Arts
Digital Media Program
School of Art, Media, Performance and Design
York University, Toronto
4700 Keele Street .:. 228 Goldfarb Centre for Fine Arts .:. Toronto ON, M3J 1P3 Canada
http://computationalarts.ampd.yorku.ca/