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 from a talented female artist Kateřina Blahutová, which was created in close cooperation with Through PrusaLab a 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.
O Sign and the Living Forest
Signal Calling is a unique platform of the Signal Festival that gives young artists and innovators the opportunity to present their ideas to the general public. Installation Living forest was one of those ideas that thrilled both the expert jury and the general public. The artwork 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
Following the success on Signal Festival 2021 has Living Forest embarked on a journey around world festivals and cultural events. Among the most significant stops were:
- 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 FestivalThe proceeds from the collections were donated to the initiative We are planting trees, which focuses on the restoration of greenery in the urban environment.
- Balloon Museum RomeThe proceeds supported the project Fridays for Future – Beyond Burning, which fights for climate justice.
- Winter Festival at List í Ljósi, IcelandThe funds were donated Icelandic Wetlands Fund to protect wetlands.
- Blik Blik, PilsenContributions were directed to Plzeň Animal Rescue Station, which looks after injured and abandoned animals.
- PrusapartyThe post went to a 6-year-old To Arturo, who needs a bone marrow transplant. The management of Prusa Research also doubled the collection proceeds to help further ensure the necessary treatment.
In conclusion
Installation complete Living forest it is indeed a sad moment, but at the same time a celebration of the incredible journey that this installation has been on. 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.
