|Intelligences in Dialogue| is a research and artistic creation project that presents, within the realm of Art, the unprecedented communication between three types of intelligence: the intelligence of forests, human intelligence, and, acting as a mediator, artificial intelligence.
The project takes an innovative approach in Art to demonstrate that alternative ways of relating to the natural ecosystem are possible, using ecology as a scientific foundation and the most cutting-edge technologies—particularly Artificial Intelligence and robotics—as mediators and translators of codes and behaviors in communication.
The multidisciplinary approach to the forest ecosystem seeks to expand a broad perspective of relationship and dialogue to experiment, disseminate, and engage with what current scientific research attests: the fact that plants—and, for this project, trees—are intelligent, endowed with cognitive abilities, aware of their environment, and capable of remembering, learning, and communicating. By accepting the concept of intelligence in plants, new ways of approaching the relationship between humans and the plant ecosystem can be considered—ones based on mutual understanding and respect, collaboration, and the acknowledgment that intelligence, rather than being something that sets us apart from the rest of the natural world, can be the very link that connects us to other species and their environments, including artificial intelligences and robotics. Intelligence and sentience are intrinsic to life itself, not merely a position on the evolutionary scale.
Communication, listening—and respect—for otherness are the key words. How can we appreciate these parallel worlds that exist around us? Could we tune into a listening mode to understand what other species are communicating? Can we connect the community with natural heritage to preserve and protect it?
We aim to shape and visualize interspecies communication, fostering a relationship of interweaving and symbiosis that facilitates the transition from an anthropocentric society to one that, by promoting multidisciplinary knowledge exchange, moves towards new models of sustainability.
Could a tree or a forest pay attention to relevant stimuli in order to carry out a cognitive task? With this question in mind, we are conducting research based on the latest scientific studies (2023–24) to verify evidence supporting the hypothesis that plants possess cognition and are capable of achieving intentional states of attention and other mental states that can be detected. Cognition, therefore, appears to be a widespread phenomenon in the natural world, not limited to organisms with a nervous system.
The project, initiated in 2023, is currently focused on developing an electronic module and the necessary applications to measure plant electrophysiology. Our line of work aims to make visible and unravel the mystery of intelligence in non-neuronal life forms—trees within their ecosystems, forests—exploring plant intelligence, social behavior, memory, and strategic thinking.
In this artistic project, which intersects diverse fields such as Physiology, Psychology, and Computing, we investigate the cognitive abilities of plants and propose an empirical approach to studying attention and communication within forest ecosystems. The results of this experiment are then used, through the language of Art, to create artistic installations that present the project's findings to the public. The work produced includes audiovisual elements (projections and videos) within a natural environment featuring trees and living plants, with which visitors can engage in dialogue and interact in the exhibition space. It is a place of experimentation designed to facilitate public involvement in an interactive and immersive way (through robots, monitoring sensors), ultimately making visitors the protagonists of the exhibition experience.
Our approach is grounded in scientific research, acknowledging its rigor and its fundamental role in generating knowledge. The preliminary results are promising, and we have the support of leading international research groups. However, our aim is not to compete with science or replace its established methods. Instead, we seek to complement this field with a curious and exploratory perspective. Our primary goal is to pose questions that open new avenues for reflection and to experiment with processes that allow us to observe phenomena. Through these experiments, we aim not only to obtain results but also to share them in ways that invite dialogue and collective discovery.
Project awarded funding through grants for the financing of cultural acceleration projects in the Community of Madrid, under Spain's Recovery, Transformation, and Resilience Plan – Next Generation EU Funds.
WITH THE PARTICIPATION OF CREA SGR