VEIN A Bio-Sonic Narrative of Forest Life through Plant Bioelectrical Signals

Abstract

EIN is an artistic research project that investigates the translation of plant bioelectrical signals into bio-sonic narratives. The system captures real-time electrical fluctuations from vegetation in a forest ecosystem (Alto de São Bento, Évora, Portugal) and transforms them into structured sound through a hybrid analog-digital workflow. Conductive sensors record variations in plant bioelectrical activity, which are amplified, digitized, and mapped onto sonic parameters such as pitch, timbre, and rhythmic density. Rather than treating sonification as direct representation of data, VEIN frames it as a situated interpretative process in which biological and technological systems co-produce perceptual structures. The main contribution is the proposition of narrative as an emergent property of temporal biological variability rather than a human-centered construct. This approach is critically positioned against conventional sonification frameworks that prioritize analytical transparency and data fidelity. Instead, VEIN aligns with ecological listening and sound studies perspectives that emphasize relational perception and situated meaning-making. The project contributes to ongoing debates in bioacoustics, media art, and ecological sound practices by proposing a model of bio-sonic narration grounded in more- than-representational processes.