The plant Arabidopsis thaliana responds to mechanical vibrations traveling through its body: distinguishing caterpillar feeding from leafhopper songs and wind. When playing those frequencies, one can trigger chemical defenses.

Acoustic Ecologies introduces three analog field instruments inspired by insect physiology and environmental rhythms. Their resonating horn and copper bodies attach to branches, leaves, or soil, carrying subtle vibrational energy into the plant.

At ZHdK, we played instruments with plants, capturing vibrations via contact microphones and transforming them through granular synthesis. Pitch and amplitude map these vibrations and chemical fluctuations into a shared orchestration.