How does the forest listen? What will the forest sound like, look like, in 100 years time?

PROJECT: CONVERSATIONS WITH THE FOREST
ARTIST: MERINDA DAVIES
PROJECT PARTNERS: URBAN ART PROJECTS, CAVILL LANE, THE 4217, REGIONAL ARTS DEVELOPMENT FUND GOLD COAST & CREATIVE PARTNERSHIPS AUSTRALIA

Conversations with the Forest - Surfers Paradise invites us to help grow a micro-forest in Surfers Paradise on Kombumerri land where the littoral rainforest once stood. Using plant species native to the region, the forest will become a ‘paradise’ people can enjoy in Surfers Paradise. A soundscape created for the forest will filter through speakers – tones and sounds like the electric pulse language of the trees. The work asks us to think about how we regard and communicate with forests and trees, and to consider a future where plants are our equals. Encompassing a long-term community engagement onsite and collaborations with ferns, fungi and trees, Conversations with the Forest aims to build and nourish a network that supports new growth in the form of a fledgling forest and permanent public artwork. Committed participants known as Forest Agents are invited to work with the artistic team to help grow the forest on the ground or in the digital realm.