“It may be doubted whether there are many other animals which have played so important a part in the history of the world, as have these lowly organized creatures.” (Charles Darwin)
Soil Choir v.3.1.
Sound sculpture.
Acyl, Metal, Supercollider-Code, Sensors, electronics (Bela-Board, Teensy MCU, LED), Loudspeaker.
This object serves as both a sound sculpture and a worm habitat*. Through the glass, we watch the worms crawl through the earth from top to bottom, from left to right. In doing so, they ensure that the soil block always remains loose, aerated and watered. Through the sensors in the sculpture, we can hear the varying levels of moisture within the humus layers, coupled with the crawling and squirming of the worms.
Earthworms are crucial for the natural soil environment and nourish both surrounding plants and the surrounding landscape, as their cavities form an extensive network transforming the soil into a giant sponge during heavy rainfall. One worm can create a system of tunnels that extends several metres deep. This ensures that the soil is supplied with sufficient water even at the deepest levels. Numerous factors, such as the excessive use of pesticides, herbicides and ammonia, as well as heavy agricultural machinery, disrupt this natural balance.
Fun fact: There are around 7 million earthworms per human individual. In the world of vertebrates, humans are the majority. However, if we consider a multitude of critters, invertebrate worms, insects, and protozoa outnumber us by far! Do we perhaps need to rethink democracy in relation to the non-human majorities on earth?
JIŘÍ SUCHÁNEK
Sound and media artist Jiří Suchánek researches the relationship between nature, technology, and the robustness of electronic media. The environment—as a representative of an open and collective authorship—becomes an active co-author of his work, for example through processes of decomposition, erosion, or self-organisation.
Jiří Suchánek’s work was made possible with financial support from the European Union. However, the views expressed therein can in no way be regarded as the official opinion of the EU.
*Habitat: The term “habitat” is used in biology to describe the location of an animal or plant species within a biotope. Applied to humans, this would be comparable to a neighbourhood.