forest whisper, 2022

Redwood, 77 x 25 x 23”
Gualala Arts Global Harmony Sculpture Garden, CA
April 8, 2022 - present

“Forest Whisper” is a public sound sculpture designed to amplify the rich but often unnoticed sounds of the redwood forest. The idea for this project came after I learned that trees emit sounds at very low frequencies, which instilled a desire to listen and learn from them. Inspired by Erika Rothenberg’s 1984 megaphone sculpture that explores freedom of expression, I decided to make an interactive “mega-scope” that serves both as a megaphone and a naked-eye telescope, to amplify the sounds of the forest and frame its the surrounding beauty. 

Visitors are invited to place their ear next to the mega-scope’s small opening, close their eyes and pause for a few moments to listen to the forest. By actively listening and interpreting the forest sounds, audiences may feel a sense of peacefulness, and at the same time, reflect on their physical and spiritual connections with trees. “Forest Whisper” offers a contemplative space, in hope that by looking in and listening to the forest, audiences might enhance their ecological awareness.