Tree Museum | Ed Chivers

📷 Photos and videos by Shuoyang Zheng

What happens if/when biodiversity collapses in the natural word? Will the lost sounds of the extinct species be recreated artificially in forest theme parks? Will forests become tree museums?

Tree Museum focuses on the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, whose population has declined by 91% since 1967, and is on the UK’s red list for endangered species. The sound of the woodpecker’ drumming is reproduced artificially in the trees, asking us to consider the sounds that are lost when we loose a species.

Ed Chivers is a composer, performer and sound artist based in Brighton, UK. His recent work explores the interplay between the natural and technological worlds, such as using lightning strikes and seismic activity to generate musical patterns. He is a member of the bands Fujiya & Miyagi, and AK/DK, with whom he tours internationally. He has composed music for contemporary dance, theatre, and short films.