“We envisage embedded artworks capable of slowly finding, and then occupying, their own intelligent ‘niches’, within the forest’s ecology – a speculative form we call an ‘Art Intelligence’” (Keith Armstrong)

Intentions
Forest Art Intelligence (FAI) aims to understand how to develop art forms capable of growing and evolving alongside a regenerating forest, whilst also actively benefiting that forest’s health: It involves a collaboration with Samford Ecological Research Facility (SERF) and the Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network (TERN) with the R&D supported by ANAT (The Australian Network for Art and Technology).

Forest Art Intelligence (FAI) comprises

1. 1. 1.  A regenerating forest and wet gulley; which is also regarded as the project’s meta-artwork

      2.  Scientific monitoring, maintenance and other related programs undertaken by the art/science team to encourage local regeneration.

      3.  A series of on-site and remotely linked off-site hybrid/experimental artworks, linked by electronic networks (named ‘Art Intelligences’). These works will be progressively invented as the area regenerates, and will evolve to occupy their own ‘niches’, whilst supporting that forest’s growth.

      4. A public engagement strategy/campaign to illuminate the ecosystem’s unique processes of intelligent natural regrowth in this area and promote an more inclusive definition of ‘intelligence’ of the non-human world.

Key Questions
The FAI project therefore poses the following key questions:

• How to develop a series of speculative, embedded forms, called ‘Art Intelligences’, capable of growing and evolving alongside a regenerating forest that can ALSO benefit that forest’s health.

• How might such Art Intelligences slowly find, and then occupy, their own intelligent ‘niches’, within that forest’s ecology

• How might such artworks bring attention to the extraordinary non-human intelligences that underpin natural systems AND harness them to inspire and direct this experimental sci-art process.

The extraordinary intelligences that underpin natural systems will inspire and direct the development of our experimental sci-art process. Our aim is to understand how to develop art forms capable of growing and evolving alongside a regenerating forest, whilst also actively benefiting that forest’s health. We envisage embedded artworks capable of slowly finding, and then occupying, their own intelligent ‘niches’, within the forest’s ecology – a speculative form we call an ‘Art Intelligence’.

Our art+science team have secured unprecedented permission to restore a currently cleared block of land back to high conservation-value forest at the partner’s site, Samford Ecological Research facility (SERF). As the forest ecology slowly returns to health, we will investigate how to develop symbiotic, process-based artworks across that entire site. We imagine that these ‘Art Intelligences’, would be capable of growing & evolving with the forest whilst occupying their own intelligent, ecological ‘niches’ within that emerging forest – with the forest itself being the project’s ‘meta-artwork’. 

Our project’s actions, & our on-site creations are therefore intended to directly benefit the forest through both ‘performing’ ecological functions, whilst also encouraging public engagement with the forest’s processes of intelligent natural regrowth.

Special thanks to QUT (Lorrelle Allen/Marcus Yates and SERF management committee), TERN (Eleanor Velasquez) and ANAT (Melissa DeLaney, Jenn Brazier, Carollyn Kavanagh, Aushaf Widisto and Steven Pickles).

Credits (Instagram Specific)
Forest Art Ecology/FAI is supported by ANAT Synapse residency program of the Australian Network for Art and Technology @anat_australia , Samford Ecological Research Facility/SERF @qutrealworld, The NCRIS-enabled Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network/TERN @tern_au – Australia’s Land Ecosystem Observatory, @embodiedmedia and the Australian Government through Creative Australia @creative.australia, its arts funding and advisory body.

Credits (Facebook Specific)
Forest Art Ecology/FAI is supported by ANAT Synapse residency program of the Australian Network for Art and Technology @ANAT.AustralianNetworkforArtandTechnology, Samford Ecological Research Facility/SERF @QUTBrisbane, the NCRIS-enabled Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network/TERN @TerrestrialEcosystemResearchNetwork – Australia’s Land Ecosystem Observatory, @keith.armstrong.98229, and the Australian Government through Creative Australia @creative.australia, its arts funding and advisory body.

Credits (Linked_In Specific)
Forest Art Ecology/FAI is supported by ANAT Synapse residency program of the Australian Network for Art and Technology @Australian Network for Art and Technology, Samford Ecological Research Facility/SERF @QUT, The NCRIS-enabled Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network/TERN @tern-aus,- Australia’s Land Ecosystem Observatory, @keith-armstrong-7756095 and the Australian Government through Creative Australia @creative-aus, its arts funding and advisory body.