Forest Aerobiome
BioFabricate, London, UK
2025
| What futures might emerge if we learned to listen and apply microbial intelligence? |
By 2050, most of us will live in cities, breathing highly filtered and conditioned air. Our built environments were shaped by germ theory, stripped of the organisms that support human well-being. Forests offer another blueprint. What if we could design microbial air for the indoors that is alive, symbiotic, and restorative?
The Japanese practice of Shinrin yoku—“forest bathing” is the simple act of spending mindful time among trees. People who walk slowly in forests often feel calmer and more connected. Science now helps explain why: forests release aromatic phytoncides and host a living aerobiome—the airborne community of bacteria and fungi drifting from soils, bark, and leaves (Park et al. 2009; Li et al. 2008, 2009).
This installation was inspired by an expedition into the old-growth forest at Bard College in upstate New York, where members of Biome Consortia sampled the forest aerobiome across canopy and soil layers. This research seeded the vision behind Forest Aerobiome: exploring how fragments of forest life might one day be thoughtfully reintroduced into built spaces to support wellbeing.
Microorganisms
Aromatics
Sound
Leaves