Nxt Museum
Econtinuum
Revealing the cooperative intelligence of forests
CREDITS
Artistic Lead
Thijs Biersteker
Scientific Collaboration
Prof. Stefano Mancuso
Studio Director
Sophie de Krom
Sculpting
Thijs Biersteker
THE EXPERIENCE
Visitors encounter two large, transparent root-like structures engaged in an ongoing, data-driven exchange.
As conditions in the room evolve, shifts in humidity, the presence of CO₂, even the movement of people, the structures respond by sending signals back and forth, echoing how real trees communicate underground.
The installation is fully interactive. Visitor movement affects airflow, temperature, and other environmental variables, influencing the dialogue between the roots. This participation reveals a core ecological lesson: in forests, every action, however small, resonates through the system. The motion of the structures is paired with a generative soundscape that adapts to each exchange, creating an environment that is reflective, evolving, and never the same twice.
This interaction reveals the adaptive, symbiotic intelligence of forests and highlights the ecological lesson embedded in the work: resilience is achieved through collaboration. As viewers engage, the installation evolves in both motion and soundscape, creating a reflective and ever-changing sensory experience.
3D printing recycled plastics
The New Raw
Creative Coding - generative A.I.
y=f(x) lab
Soundscape
End of Time & Scoped Audio
Studio Assistant
Lode Dijkers
MATERIALISATION
The sculptural roots are made from 3D-printed recycled plastics, shaped through thermal hand-sculpting to create organic branches. A network of sensors distributed throughout the space measures CO₂, Volatile Organic Compounds , humidity, temperature, and other environmental indicators.
This data feeds into the eco-AI, developed with TouchDesigner, which drives both the visual behaviour of the structures and the responsive soundscape.Two projectors . Because the installation reacts to live conditions and visitor presence, its behaviour is non-linear and emergent. The work changes subtly over time, mirroring the adaptive, fluctuating nature of real ecosystems.
| 3D-printed recycled plastics |
| Thermo hand-sculpted components |
| Environmental sensors (CO₂, VOCs, humidity, temperature) |
| TouchDesigner |
| Projectors |
| Generative sound system |
| EXHIBITIONS |
| LAM Budapest (HU), 2024 |
| Musée d'ethnographie de Genève, (CH), 2023 |
| Le Pavilion Namur (BE), 2022 |
| NXT museum Amsterdam (NL), 2021 |
INTRODUCTION
Beneath the forest floor, trees form complex networks capable of sharing warnings, exchanging nutrients, and coordinating growth.
These interactions, long overlooked, demonstrate that resilience in natural systems emerges not from individual strength, but from cooperation. Econtinuum brings this underground intelligence to the surface.
Developed with plant neurobiologist Stefano Mancuso, the installation translates research on electrochemical signalling between tree roots into a living, responsive environment. By making root communication visible and audible, the work reframes forests not as static landscapes but as dynamic, interconnected communities.
SCIENCE
Trees communicate through intricate electrochemical processes that move between roots and surrounding soil. These signals help plants:
share nutrients,
warn each other of threats,
adjust growth patterns, and
maintain ecological balance.
Econtinuum draws directly from these scientific insights.
Using biometric and air-quality sensors, including CO₂ levels, volatile organic compounds, temperature, and humidity, the installation simulates how tree roots respond to real-time changes in their environment.
A custom eco-AI interprets this data continuously, generating the communication between two sculptural root structures. The result is a model of adaptive behaviour grounded in the cooperative strategies observed within natural ecosystems.
With special thanks to
Merel van Helsdingen, Natasha Greenhalgh, Bogomir Doringer - and the rest of the Nxt Museum team, International Laboratory of Plant Neurobiology (LINV), University of Florence, Tim Gerritsen, Roy Gerritsen, Panos Sakkas, Foteini Setaki, Nickolas Maslarinos - The New Raw, Reinhard Bischoff - Decentlab, Dominic Vreezen - Faber, Neef Mazereeuw.
Credits images
Thijs Biersteker
IMPACT
Econtinuum showcases the power of a symbiotic relationship in nature and shares the biggest lesson to be learned from a forest ecosystem: together we are stronger.
The work seeks to broaden understanding of forest intelligence by revealing communication processes normally hidden beneath the soil. By grounding these interactions in live environmental data, and by placing visitors within the system, the installation creates a space where scientific insight becomes a perceptual experience.
Rather than presenting forests as passive backgrounds, the work highlights them as active, cooperative networks whose survival depends on constant exchange. The installation encourages audiences to reflect on interdependence, within ecosystems and within human systems, and to consider how resilience emerges when information, resources, and care are shared.
Through its blend of research, interaction, and responsive design, Econtinuum contributes to a broader cultural recognition of the subtle, intelligent systems that sustain life on Earth.
| IMPACT | |
| XX | Museum visitors |
| XX | Tiktok views |
| XX | Yadayada |