Keith Armstrong on collaborating with forests

What does it mean to make art for a forest—not just about it? Keith Armstrong explores this question through his long-term project Forest Art Intelligence, which blends ecological recovery with creative experimentation.

Forest Art Intelligence is a project that regenerates a cleared block of land into a native forest. Developed in partnership with the Samford Ecological Research Facility (SERF) and the Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network (TERN), the project will be supported in 2024 through an ANAT Synapse Residency.

Keith’s work challenges how we engage with ecological systems—inviting participation, reflection, and action.

Listen to this podcast to learn about:

• Creating artworks that support environmental recovery by providing habitat and enhancing ecological systems.

• Using analogue materials—like logs, soil, and fungi—together with digital tools such as LIDAR and acoustic sensors to interact with a living site.

• Why long-term, site-specific engagement matters—and how repeated visits shape an artist’s way of observing and responding to place.

Chapters 

(00:00:00) Introduction and acknowledgements

(00:00:56) Welcome and project overview

(00:02:09) Forest art intelligence explained

(00:03:27) Art intelligence and environmental regeneration

(00:07:35) Scientific collaboration and data collection

(00:08:21) Gardening vs. regeneration

(00:20:51) Collaborating with nature

(00:26:46) Advice for creatives

(00:28:31) Conclusion and wrap-up

About Keith Armstrong  

Keith Armstrong is an artist whose practice is grounded in ecological and social inquiry. He creates participatory, site-specific and technologically embedded works that ask how art can become a tool for rethinking our relationship with the environment and systems. He has led and created more than sixty major art and research-based projects. His work has been supported by fellowships from Creative Australia, the Australian Network for Art and Technology (ANAT), and the Synapse Art-Science Residency program.

Links from the podcast with Keith Armstrong:

• Visit Keith Armstrong’s website
• Follow Keith Armstrong on Instagram
• Learn more about Forest Art Intelligence
• Learn more about Analog Intelligence at ISEA 2024
• Visit the Samford Ecological Research Facility (SERF) website and the Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network (TERN) website   
• Learn more about Australian Network for Art and Technology (ANAT)