Birch Breath #100

2025

3D printing from recycled plastic bottles found in the urban environment, augmented reality, audio-visual installation

The project creates a meditative space at the intersection of ecology, technology, and Russian spiritual tradition. Its central sculpture—3D-printed from recycled plastic bottles collected in urban environments—synthesizes the form of an Orthodox dome with that of a futuristic spaceship. This visual allusion to Russian cosmism philosophy posits care for Earth and cosmic aspiration as equally sacred pursuits.

CO₂ level data gathered from a birch grove transforms into a soundscape of church bells, becoming an acoustic embodiment of the 'Russian soul' traditionally associated with birch trees. The visual component—kaleidoscopic projections mirroring natural cycles—emphasizes the idea of eternal renewal.

Augmented reality reveals the sculpture’s inner space: a fragile AR 'soul' of the birch grows in sync with ecological data, reminding us that technology is not a tool for dominating nature but a means to hear its voice.

The project offers a syncretic experience: plastic waste transmuted into sacred form, technology as a conduit to archetypal imagery, ecology as spiritual practice. 'What does the world’s breath sound like when listened to through data? '—this question remains open, like Fyodorov’s cosmos, where saving nature equals saving the soul.