Brancha, 2021

Brancha plays with the visual and functional similarities between bronchial structures and root/branch structures. It bridges aesthetic similarities between humans and trees, while pushing the bounds of empathetic healing between humans and nature, but not only drawing such similarities, but also pointing out the necessary twines of interconnectedness through interactivity. The lung-trees rest in a pulsating state, but display irritated shaking, and the ultimate shedding of their leaves when presented with a human viewer. The animation is rigged with a proximity sensor that toggles between resting and agitated states depending on the closeness of a human subject, warning the viewer to enjoy from afar.

The audio in the documentation video is a small clip of the ambient audio that played alongside Brancha. The audio featured a blend of bird sounds of species found near my childhood home, along with car traffic, airplane traffic, chainsaw sounds, and the sounds of my own whistles mimicking the bird sounds. There is a musical layer that plays intermittently throughout the audio piece that is sonified data of deforestation rates throughout the United States.

Brancha was presented as part of my Master’s Thesis exhibition at Leon Gallery in Denver.