Inspired by a walk through a forest at sunset, Matthew Jones of MattCreative imagined a world where trees could communicate through light. In this interview, he shares how this initial idea evolved into Pulse, an interactive installation that transforms the forest into a living network, where each tree has its own visual language and every visitor can influence the whole.
What was the initial idea or inspiration behind Pulse? What sparked your interest in the invisible connections between trees and their environment?
Pulse was inspired by a walk through a large forest on the outskirts of town, two summers ago. As the sun set and the forest grew dark, I had this feeling that I wished the trees could light up a path and lead me somewhere – somewhere the forest wanted me to go. From there, it grew intothe idea that the forest could communicate with me through the movement of light, high up in the canopy. A red glow in the distance could tell me where it was hurting, a burst of blue and green light could show me it was happy, and a gentle pulsing wave could show me it was at rest. Since then, I’ve been interested in how the trees might use light as a direct mechanism of interaction between themselves, and us, as we walk through them.
How did you translate these underground networks into light and interaction? Could you tell us more about the creative and technical process behind the installation?
I imagine the underground networks that connect the trees as a system of interconnected nodes, with a main node that acts as the primary elder of the forest. A tree cannot talk directly with every other tree; it must pass a message along through all of the trees in between. In the samemanner, I built the technology behind the installation so a single tree can have its own unique expression, which can then alter the overall state of the forest. This is passed along to all of the other trees in the network, affecting the lighting patterns that spread throughout the entire forest.
Each tree has its own visual language, while a central tree coordinates a shared pulse. How did you develop this visual system, and what does it represent?
This visual system was developed in conjunction with the design of the lighting fixtures we developed. We had to find a way to give immediate visual feedback to visitors to show that the tree was aware of them. We also wanted to show that their presence affected the overall state of the forest. The challenge was to find a way to communicate this with light, with only a single fixture per tree, and people potentially interacting with multiple trees in the forest at once. It represents the idea that your single interaction can spread across the entire forest, as the entire forest is one large, connected system.
How does audience interaction shape the experience of Pulse? What do you hope visitors will notice, feel, or take away from engaging with the installation?
The audience reaction can change depending on the specific layout and design of Pulse, but the overall idea is that your presence affects the entire forest. I hope people will feel a sense of connection to the trees – that the trees are living, breathing entities that notice when you are near, and might even have feelings about what you are doing. That individual tree may tell the rest of the trees you are here, and if it does, the entire forest will become aware. I’d like people to take that idea with them as they go throughout life, to remember that we are connected to the naturalsystems around us, even if we can’t see it as clearly.
What does it mean to present Pulse at the Winter Festival of Lights in Niagara Falls? How do you see the installation connecting with the festival’s winter setting and its visitors?
It is an honor to be part of such a large winter light festival that draws so many visitors from around the world. I think the location, at one of Canada’s largest natural wonders that also powers our everyday lives, is a great opportunity to reinforce the connection we have with the environmentand how we must strive to find the balance of living within these delicate systems.
Presented as part of the Winter Festival of Lights in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Pulse invites audiences to experience the forest as a living, interconnected system. Created by MattCreative and distributed by Wireframe, the installation will be on view from November 14, 2026, to January 10, 2027. Surrounded by the natural beauty of the area, the artwork offers a timely reminder of our connection to the natural world.
