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The Hidden Plant Community
Client
EXPO 2025 OSAKA
Site
Osaka - Giappone
Services
Biophilic Design – Scientific and Visual Research
Year
2025
The Hidden Plant Community
The interactive installation, The Hidden Plant Community, located in the heart of the Forest of Tranquility at EXPO 2025 in Japan, allows the public to observe — with both eyes and heart — the movements and functions of these living beings through the language of art, encouraging a shift away from an anthropocentric view of the world and toward a broader perspective on existence.
Expo 2025 Osaka, taking place from April 13 to October 13, 2025, has invited the international scientific community to explore the theme Designing Future Society for Our Lives through a vision that embraces all forms of life, not just human.
As visitors embark on the exhibition path on the artificial island of Yumeshima, in Osaka Bay, they enter a different dimension, immersed in sound and light installations.
The first experience, The Sound of Trees, transforms the sound waves of raw sap rising from roots to leaves into an acoustic and visual landscape. Eighteen hi-tech columns create an artificial forest that recalls the pipes of an organ, offering an auditory immersion into the voices of plants. Six of these columns are equipped with directional speakers that allow visitors to step into a kind of sound chamber and listen to recordings made by a geophone — a special device capable of capturing the imperceptible sounds inside the trunk, inaudible to the human ear.
The second piece, The Movement of Stomata, is a kinetic installation that imitates the function of these “organs” through a system of pneumatic microstructures that open and close, highlighting how trees regulate the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide with the environment.
“We are completely dependent on plants for everything — from the air we breathe to the food we eat and the medicines we use — yet we have cut down two trillion trees over the past two centuries, with devastating consequences for the planet. It is our duty to raise awareness of this reality and help people recognize the fundamental role plants play in building a future for humanity.”
Stefano Mancuso
scientist
The Sound of Trees
The sound experience of the trees amplifies the noises produced within the woody part of the trunks, where the xylem transports raw sap—mainly composed of water and mineral salts—from the roots to the leaves. The speakers embedded in the columns allow visitors to listen to what happens inside the trees.
The kinetic installation replicates the movement of stomata — microscopic “mouths” found on leaves, flowers, and stems that enable the exchange of gases between the inside and outside of the plant. The six life-sized, luminous, and transparent vertical structures evoke leaf blades, complete with their internal organelles.
The pneumatic elements of the installation open and close during daylight hours thanks to a temperature sensor, while remaining inactive at night, mimicking the natural behavior of stomata.
The concept behind the installation is that a strategy based on mutual support and resource sharing—such as water, energy, food, and clean air—can be broadly applied at the urban scale. The display cases housing the plants act as botanical filters that purify the air within the pavilion. Through an underground network, the air is forced to flow toward smaller elements, gradually releasing purified air throughout the installation. The idea is to envision an urban landscape where plants and the built environment are indistinguishable, and where buildings not only avoid causing environmental harm but actively generate large-scale benefits.
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