(Arbo)Real Networks explores the significance of nonverbal forms of communication in the contemporary world, as interpersonal interactions are increasingly taking place in the virtual setting. In the age of Zoom, FaceTime and social media, the nature of physical touch and body language as indispensable components of any authentic human exchange has been overlooked. Since simplified digital personas cannot stand in for complex human essences, virtual communication practices often produce superficial exchanges, disconnected on both social and emotional levels.
In (Arbo)Real Networks, the tree, which evolves by adapting to the physical conditions, becomes a metaphor for an interpersonal exchange in which bodily presence is essential. Using sensory technology to register the physicality of the viewer as they approach, the sculpture offers a visualisation of a network of reactive, dynamic selves acknowledged for their corporeal nature. In this way, the installation hopes to encourage reflection on the need to reincorporate nonverbal forms of communication into contemporary practices of social exchange.
