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Put your ear against the trunk.

With the mirrors, reflect the sunlight towards the branches

« Hylé » refers to the wood in Greek, and to the raw material in philosophy. « Helios », sun in greek, is associated to Hylé for the title of the artwork. It illustrates our intent to create a sensory and symbolic relationship between the body, the sky and the ground.

Hylé-Hélios is an interactive and sound installation with a living tree which evolves according to the sunlight and to interactions of audience. In the one hand, spectators are invited to put their ears to the trunk in order to feel and hear the heartbeat of the tree: the vibratory rythm evolves according to the intensity of the sunlight, and the entire tree vibrates.

On the other hand, spectators are invited to use small reclining mirrors around the tree in order to reflect the sun toward other mirrors in the foliage of the tree. These ones have small lightsensors in their centers. A sound is generated when they feel the light. This sound is organic, calming, which can evolve with the intensity of light and interaction of audience.

Light sensors are hanged at the top of the tree, towards the sky. They allow to follow the path of the sun and to determine its intensity. 
A loudspeaker is pressed against the trunk high up. It vibrates according to the light intensity. The spectator can hear and feel this vibratory sound only when he puts his ear or his body against the trunk.
Heartbeats of this artwork are varying according to the weather and time. This cyclic and progressive artwork offers a symbolic and sensory reading of the time : it becomes sonorous and physically sensitive. 

In branches and foliage:
Small interactive mirrors are hanged in branches towards the ground. Lights sensors are in their centers. These mirrors reflect the ground, grass and audience. They are linked to a speaker which diffuses sounds towards the audience.

On the ground : reflective mirrors reclining
Small reclining mirrors are placed around the tree. Audience is invited to use its in order to reflect the sun toward lightsensors in the foliage of the tree. When the lightsensor feels the light, it generates a sound : the pitch evolves according to the intensity of light. Each lightsensor/mirror generates various sounds which can be mixed together. 

Previous exhibition of Hylé-Hélios

Scenocosme : Gregory Lasserre & Anais met den Ancxt - www.scenocosme.com