Jordforbindelse (soil connection)
traveling exhibition, Aarhus Libraries, 2024
Everything in the world is connected to the soil. However, the health of living soil is increasingly under pressure, making it necessary to understand the many ways in which we are connected to the earth beneath us. Jordforbindelse (or, soil connection) is a collaboration between myself, design researcher Louise Permiin and soil biologists from Aarhus University's Department of Ecoscience; an experimental project that lies at the intersection of art, science and agriculture. Through a mix of artistic, biological and technological co-design processes, Jordforbindelse tries to establish connections between humans and earthworms, as a way to bring to light the important but often invisible processes that take place in the soil beneath our feet.
The opening of Jordforbindelse was held at DOKK1 during the 2024 World Soil Day Conference, where Danish researchers, farmers and other industry professionals connected to the soil meet once a year under a unique theme. This year’s theme was: 'Caring for soils – measure, monitor, manage’. As a part of World Soil Day we provided a tour of the exhibition, a sensory soil workshop and an interactive lunch activity featuring live earthworms.
Jordfordindelse builds on the work of previous collaborative projects Jord/Luft and Vibrant Soils.
This project was generously supported in part by:Aage V. Jensens Fonde, Aarhus Bibliotekerne, and EJP Soils with additional assistance from the Aarhus University Department of Ecoscience.
+ World Soil Day 2024
The opening of Jordforbindelse was held at DOKK1 during the 2024 World Soil Day Conference, where Danish researchers, farmers and other industry professionals connected to the soil meet once a year under a unique theme. This year’s theme was: 'Caring for soils – measure, monitor, manage’. As a part of World Soil Day we provided a tour of the exhibition, a sensory soil workshop and an interactive lunch activity featuring live earthworms.
Jordfordindelse builds on the work of previous collaborative projects Jord/Luft and Vibrant Soils.
This project was generously supported in part by:Aage V. Jensens Fonde, Aarhus Bibliotekerne, and EJP Soils with additional assistance from the Aarhus University Department of Ecoscience.
+ World Soil Day 2024
Exhibition view, project posters.
Exhibition view, earthworm terrarium and specimen shelves.
Exhibition view.
Exhibition view, worm casting specimens.
Exhibition view, project booklet and reading station.
Exhibition view, soil sounds listening station.
Presenting at the World Soil Day conference, 2024.
Conference audience meditating on soil, World Soil Day, 2024.
Live earthworm table centerpieces, World Soil Day conference, 2024.
Process video showing footage from our investigation of different soils under the microscope.
Vibrant Soils
exhibition, Spinderihallerne, 2024
A collaborative project with design researcher Louise Permiin, building on work presented in Jord/Luft.
Did you know that the earth is alive? Every day we walk on top of millions of small soil-dwllers who help to ensure that we can live and breathe on earth. In Vibrant Soils we combine biological research and artistic approaches to investigate the invisible worlds contained in our soil. This project is a collection of sound recordings, videos, images and sculptures that all mark the presence of a plethora of soil-dwllers within the Danish landscap
What if you could hold a sound in your hands? Our set of clay objects featured in this exhibition are the experimental results of our explorations in translating vibrations from the soil’s ecosystem into sculptural forms. To make these works, sound recordings of tiny soil-dwellers like earthworms and mites are used in a custom-built system that generates sculptural 3D models from audio files. These 3D models were then 3D printed in wild clay that we harvested and processed, resulting in a series of unique clay soil-sound sculptures that are both from the landscape and of the landscape. These sculptures and the other works shown in Vibrant Soils serve as an invitation to dive underground, explore subterranean habitats and a deeper connection to the earth around us.
This project was supported in part by: Spinderihallerne, Vejle Kommune, ceramicist Anna Andersen, Senior Researcher Emeritus Paul Henning Krogh from the Aarhus University Dept. of Ecoscience and Sissel Fuglsang-Smidt, Jordens Hus.
Did you know that the earth is alive? Every day we walk on top of millions of small soil-dwllers who help to ensure that we can live and breathe on earth. In Vibrant Soils we combine biological research and artistic approaches to investigate the invisible worlds contained in our soil. This project is a collection of sound recordings, videos, images and sculptures that all mark the presence of a plethora of soil-dwllers within the Danish landscap
What if you could hold a sound in your hands? Our set of clay objects featured in this exhibition are the experimental results of our explorations in translating vibrations from the soil’s ecosystem into sculptural forms. To make these works, sound recordings of tiny soil-dwellers like earthworms and mites are used in a custom-built system that generates sculptural 3D models from audio files. These 3D models were then 3D printed in wild clay that we harvested and processed, resulting in a series of unique clay soil-sound sculptures that are both from the landscape and of the landscape. These sculptures and the other works shown in Vibrant Soils serve as an invitation to dive underground, explore subterranean habitats and a deeper connection to the earth around us.
This project was supported in part by: Spinderihallerne, Vejle Kommune, ceramicist Anna Andersen, Senior Researcher Emeritus Paul Henning Krogh from the Aarhus University Dept. of Ecoscience and Sissel Fuglsang-Smidt, Jordens Hus.
Exhibition view.
Exhibition view.
Exhibition view, listening to soil sounds.
Soil sound sculptures, 2023. 3D printed wild clay, various dimensions. Signed, edition of 2.
Detail, soil sound sculpture.
Outdoor installation of soil sound sculptures, 2024.
Detail, outdoor installation.
Process video with our soil recordings as soundtrack, 2024.
Mirror Stage
exhibition, Vejle Kunstmuseum, 2024 - 2025
In an era dominated by pervasive image manipulation, the relentless pursuit of physical ideals both on screens and in real life raises profound questions. What defines the perfection we seek in our physical faces and bodies? Mirror Stage attempts to blend classical ideals and new technologies in order to interrogate our societal notions of bodily perfection and our evolving connection to new technologies.
Mirror Stage is a collaborative venture between myself and artificial intelligence. At the heart of this endeavor is the use of text prompts to engage OpenAI's Point E, a machine learning system that generates 3D point clouds that can be turned into objects. Guided by prompts inspired by the physical ideals found in classical Western sculpture, such as 'a delicate female face' or 'the strong face of a god,' I and Point E endeavor to imagine and sculpt the quintessential human visage.
This experiment is a dance between human expression and machine interpretation, existing in the uncanny valley between the digital and the tangible. The resulting forms embrace and attempt to highlight the glitches and imperfections that are always inherent in emerging technologies. Here AI is in the spotlight, as it operates using vast data sets created and aggregated by humans; the imperfections inherent in this particular technology are directly connected to our own. Mirror Stage is a challenge to reconsider our perception of the flawless and to interrogate our evolving relationships with the machines and systems that increasingly shape our daily lives.
Through the lens of these human-machine-crafted faces, this work encourages contemplation on the intersections between our humanity and our technologies and invites viewers to engage with the beautiful flaws that emerge from the gaps between human aspirations and the imprecise artistry of artificial intelligence. As we humans navigate this emerging landscape, Mirror Stage aims to be a mirror reflecting not only our ideals but also the complexities of our existence in an age of relentless technological innovation.
This project is shown as a part of the group exhibition Kropumulig Kroputrolig at the Vejle Kunstmuseum in Vejle, DK. The exhibition was curated by Trine Grøne and features artists Mia Mai Dengsø Graabæk, Soren Thilo Funder and Lærke Posselt. Exhibition images courtesy of Kenneth Stjernegaard and Vejle Kunstmuseum. Funding for realizing this work courtesy of Statens Kunstfond and Vejle Kunstmuseum.
+ Vejle Museums’ Exhibition Page
+ Press Release
Mirror Stage is a collaborative venture between myself and artificial intelligence. At the heart of this endeavor is the use of text prompts to engage OpenAI's Point E, a machine learning system that generates 3D point clouds that can be turned into objects. Guided by prompts inspired by the physical ideals found in classical Western sculpture, such as 'a delicate female face' or 'the strong face of a god,' I and Point E endeavor to imagine and sculpt the quintessential human visage.
This experiment is a dance between human expression and machine interpretation, existing in the uncanny valley between the digital and the tangible. The resulting forms embrace and attempt to highlight the glitches and imperfections that are always inherent in emerging technologies. Here AI is in the spotlight, as it operates using vast data sets created and aggregated by humans; the imperfections inherent in this particular technology are directly connected to our own. Mirror Stage is a challenge to reconsider our perception of the flawless and to interrogate our evolving relationships with the machines and systems that increasingly shape our daily lives.
Through the lens of these human-machine-crafted faces, this work encourages contemplation on the intersections between our humanity and our technologies and invites viewers to engage with the beautiful flaws that emerge from the gaps between human aspirations and the imprecise artistry of artificial intelligence. As we humans navigate this emerging landscape, Mirror Stage aims to be a mirror reflecting not only our ideals but also the complexities of our existence in an age of relentless technological innovation.
This project is shown as a part of the group exhibition Kropumulig Kroputrolig at the Vejle Kunstmuseum in Vejle, DK. The exhibition was curated by Trine Grøne and features artists Mia Mai Dengsø Graabæk, Soren Thilo Funder and Lærke Posselt. Exhibition images courtesy of Kenneth Stjernegaard and Vejle Kunstmuseum. Funding for realizing this work courtesy of Statens Kunstfond and Vejle Kunstmuseum.
+ Vejle Museums’ Exhibition Page
+ Press Release
A head with flowing hair, archival inkjet print of AI-generated mesh, 70 x 100 cm.
A delicate female face, archival inkjet print of AI-generated mesh, 70 x 100 cm.
A beautiful visage, archival inkjet print of AI-generated mesh, 70 x 100 cm.
A perfect human face, 3D-printed plaster/bioplastic sculpture, 16 x 16 x 19 cm.
Detail.
An ideal face, 3D-printed plaster/bioplastic sculpture, 19 x 13 x 16 cm.
The face of a god, 3D-printed plaster/bioplastic sculpture, 12 x 10 x 15 cm.
Detail.
Surface detail.Art/tech Artist-in-Residence, Vejle Kommune
residency and exhibition, 2022 - 2023
From 2021 to 2023 I served as the Art/tech artist-in-residence for Vejle kommune (municipality). As the AIR I acted as both an art and design educator and a professional artist. My job was twofold;
1) to act as a consultant and collaborator with local teachers, students and decision-makers to create events that support playful and artistic approaches to learning about new technologies and
2) to pursue the development of personal art/tech projects here in Vejle, Denmark, and abroad.
The culmination of the residency resulted in Sarah Trahan: Art/tech Huskunstner, an exhibition at Spinderihallerne. The exhibition included objects, photographs and text explaining some of my activities and projects during my time as art/tech artist-in-residence. It was organized into 4 focus areas: Teacher Collaboration & Workshops, Art in the FabLab, BioTechLab Experiments, and Fermenting Data. Each of these categories involved collaborative work with educators, designers, researchers, students and other artists from local, national and international places.The exhibition included work from my projects With/in a Landscape, Vibrant Soils, Hot Plastic and Surface Error.
This resdiency was made possible through support from Vejle kommune and a generous grant from Statens Kunstfond. Other supporting partners for the residency include Vejle Bibliotekerne, Vejle Musik-og kulturskole, FabLab Spinderihallerne, BioTechLab Spinderihallerne and the Fermenting Data project. Images and video courtesy of Jonas Normann.
+ Interview in Kulturmonitor
+ Spinderihallerne AIR page
+ #arttechhuskunstner on Instagram
The culmination of the residency resulted in Sarah Trahan: Art/tech Huskunstner, an exhibition at Spinderihallerne. The exhibition included objects, photographs and text explaining some of my activities and projects during my time as art/tech artist-in-residence. It was organized into 4 focus areas: Teacher Collaboration & Workshops, Art in the FabLab, BioTechLab Experiments, and Fermenting Data. Each of these categories involved collaborative work with educators, designers, researchers, students and other artists from local, national and international places.The exhibition included work from my projects With/in a Landscape, Vibrant Soils, Hot Plastic and Surface Error.
This resdiency was made possible through support from Vejle kommune and a generous grant from Statens Kunstfond. Other supporting partners for the residency include Vejle Bibliotekerne, Vejle Musik-og kulturskole, FabLab Spinderihallerne, BioTechLab Spinderihallerne and the Fermenting Data project. Images and video courtesy of Jonas Normann.
+ Interview in Kulturmonitor
+ Spinderihallerne AIR page
+ #arttechhuskunstner on Instagram
Exhibition view, Art in the FabLab.
Detail.
Exhibition view, Vibrant Soils project.
Exhibition view, Vibrant Soils project.
Exhbition view, Teacher Collaboration.
Exhbition view, Teacher Collaboration.
Exhibition view, Plastic Fantastic project.
Exhibition view, Plastic Fantastic and Surface Error projects.
Exhibition view, BioTechLab Experiments.
Detail, clay prints.
Exhibition view, Fermenting Data.
Detail.
Exhibition view, Art in the FabLab.
With/in a Landscape
experimental project, 2021 - 2022
We are in the outdoors.
I am plugged into my computer and it is sensing me, itself, and the surrounding landscape, blending us all together in a series of recorded ones and zeros. My breath goes out into the wind, the wind whirs into the computer fan and drifts back to me again. We are a cyborg, an extended, expanded body. We are networks within a network within networks, constantly interpreted and interpreting.
As I reflect on this experience outdoors I wonder how this entanglement in a remote landscape can be contained and carried for sharing with others. How can multiple, simultaneous, and invisible states of being be expressed? This project is an attempt to make material the intangible interconnections our bodies have with technology and the living world. The vessels in this collection are sculpted from an intermingling of electrical impulses, where the human body, its extensions (technology) and the landscape are embodied and contained with/in the same vessel.
The forms here are generated from data captured during experiences on solo hikes in the Arctic Circle during a two-week span in the summer of 2021. The data consisted of small electric impulses captured from my body, the computer, and the surrounding landscape. The data was recorded using a portable EEG helmet and converted into 3-dimensional objects using an algorithmic 3D modeling program. The resulting 3D models were then made into material objects through a 3D printing and hand-finishing process. Each individual vessel is reflective of a unique moment of time in the remote landscape of the Arctic; for example, hearing wind whistling through the EEG sensors, feeling rocks slip under my feet, watching a tadpole swim. While scientific sensing equipment was used in the creation of this project, the resulting forms are not simply data visualizations; rather, they are interpretations of the blending of human and non-human existences, sculpted with artistic intent.
This project was supported in part the Ars Bioartica artist residency, Statens Kunstfond and Montserrat College of Art (USA). It has been shown as a part of Land, Mark, a group show at the Rocky Neck Art Colony in Gloucester, MA. It has also been featured in a pop-up exhibition at Vejle Bibliotekerne in Vejle, DK and as a part of the Vejle Kommune Artist-in-residence exhibition in Spinderihallerne, Vejle, DK.
+ Land, Mark Press Release
The forms here are generated from data captured during experiences on solo hikes in the Arctic Circle during a two-week span in the summer of 2021. The data consisted of small electric impulses captured from my body, the computer, and the surrounding landscape. The data was recorded using a portable EEG helmet and converted into 3-dimensional objects using an algorithmic 3D modeling program. The resulting 3D models were then made into material objects through a 3D printing and hand-finishing process. Each individual vessel is reflective of a unique moment of time in the remote landscape of the Arctic; for example, hearing wind whistling through the EEG sensors, feeling rocks slip under my feet, watching a tadpole swim. While scientific sensing equipment was used in the creation of this project, the resulting forms are not simply data visualizations; rather, they are interpretations of the blending of human and non-human existences, sculpted with artistic intent.
This project was supported in part the Ars Bioartica artist residency, Statens Kunstfond and Montserrat College of Art (USA). It has been shown as a part of Land, Mark, a group show at the Rocky Neck Art Colony in Gloucester, MA. It has also been featured in a pop-up exhibition at Vejle Bibliotekerne in Vejle, DK and as a part of the Vejle Kommune Artist-in-residence exhibition in Spinderihallerne, Vejle, DK.
+ Land, Mark Press Release
Rock formations, Saana Nature Area, FI.
Saana Fell, FI.
Native lichen growth, Saana Nature Area, FI.
Detail, rock formations, Saana Nature Area, FI.
A group of 3D meshes generated from my EEG data.
Sculptures being 3D-printed in PLA.
Hand assembly of 3D-printed sculpture parts.
First set of sculptures generated from EEG data. 3D-printed in bioplastic (PLA), assembled and finished by hand. Various dimensions.
Exhibition detail.
With/in a Landscape in the exhibition Sarah Trahan: Art/tech artist-in-residence at Spinderihallerne, Vejle, DK. Image courtesy of Jonas Normann.
Exhibition detail. Image courtesy of Jonas Normann.