End of the Living Forest art installation: Thank you for an unforgettable journey!
With pride and a touch of nostalgia, we announce the end of the art installation Living Forest by the talented artist Kateřina Blahutová, created in close collaboration with PrusaLab and Signal Festival. This interactive installation, originally intended to delight visitors of the Signal Festival as part of an open call Signal Calling, has come a long way and achieved great success since its inception in 2021.
About Signal Calling and Living Forest
Signal Calling is a unique Signal Festival platform that gives young artists and innovators the chance to present their ideas to the general public. The installation Living Forest was one of those ideas that won over both the expert jury and the public. The work combines technology and nature and invites visitors to keep the forest “alive” through their activity.
The entire interactivity consisted of visitors being able to bring the installation to life by inserting a coin into a special machine. The coins activated light and sound effects, making the forest “come alive”. This unique experience, where visitors directly contributed to charity, was enthusiastically received not only in the Czech Republic, but also at international festivals.
The Journey of the Living Forest around World Festivals
Living Forest's success at Signal Festival 2021 was followed by a journey around festivals and cultural events worldwide. Its most notable stops included:
- Let's Fly Exhibition, Balloon Museum Rome (2021)
- Winter Festival, Iceland (2022)
- List í Ljósi festival, Iceland (2022)
- Blik Blik, Plzeň (2023)
- Prusaparty, Prague (2024)
At each of these locations, the installation was met with a great response and provided visitors with an unforgettable experience of interacting with art that responds to their presence and activity.
Charitable projects supported by proceeds
The Living Forest not only brought joy and inspiration, but also contributed to a range of charitable projects and organisations:
- Signal Festival: proceeds from the collections went to the Sázíme stromy (We Plant Trees)initiative, which focuses on restoring greenery in urban areas.
- Balloon Museum Rome: the proceeds supported the Fridays for Future – Beyond Burningproject, which fights for climate justice.
- Vetrarhátíð and List í Ljósi, Iceland: the funds were donated to the Icelandic Wetlands Fund to protect wetlands.
- Blik Blik, Plzeň: contributions went to the Plzeň Animal Rescue Station, which looks after injured and abandoned animals.
- Prusaparty: the contribution went to 6-year-old Artur, who needs a bone marrow transplant. Prusa Research's management also doubled the proceeds of the collection to help secure the treatment he needs.
In conclusion
The end of the Living Forest installation is admittedly a sad moment, but also a celebration of the incredible journey this installation has taken. As the author herself says: “When we first managed to get the whole system working at once, Bára (a producer from the Signal Festival) and I had an almost euphoric experience in Stromovka.” These words perfectly capture the spirit that guided the whole project.
We thank everyone who has been involved in this journey, and we look forward to further joint projects that will be equally inspiring and full of enthusiasm.
