A tryptic of earthen mounds wait at the bottom of gentle downslope, protected by a shady grove of trees. The mounds are the stuff of life: a dense network of mycorrhizal fungi and nutrient-rich soil growing and greening the earth. This is the birthplace of the trees, their roots and saplings nurtured by the earth – the Heart of the Forest.
The Earth Growers is an immersive exploration of the ground-plane of a forest come to life. Over six hundred unique, hand-blown luminous sculptures scatter the forest floor, inspired by various fungal shapes. Set to an original five-minute musical composition, the piece guides guests through an emotional arc, using timeline-based lighting programming and mapping each sculpture as a pixel in a highly organic layout.
The piece embodies the mission of Clerestory Light: to create site-specific installations grounded in the places they inhabit, with light, sound, and sculpture revealing the dormant or hidden magic found in the natural world. In the case of The Earth Growers, the team explored the site in spring and summer, discovering fungi amidst decaying trees and new saplings. This inspiration led to the development of a narrative which follows the building excitement of electrochemical impulses within the ground, making connections between species and kingdoms, and fostering new life. As the fungi arise from a state of rest, their energy is seen cascading down the three mounds until they converge in the center of the site, while the sound of a thunderous heartbeat and the pulsating glow along the crest of the mounds reveals a deep unifying force connecting all life within the forest.
The Earth Growers is sited in a shallow valley surrounded by three mounds. Guests approach the piece by descending a gentle pathway through the woods. As they draw nearer, more and more of the installation is revealed, and the music, localized to the three mounds, becomes increasingly prominent. Upon reaching the bottom of the pathway, more pathways allow guests to wander among the sculptures and experience the piece from a number of different perspectives.
While vibrant and teaming with life in the spring and summer, this site in the Berkshire mountains of New England becomes frozen and appears lifeless in winter. The Earth Growers provides an environment for wintertime guests to reconnect with a vibrant natural environment, very much alive just beneath the surface.
