RhiZones is an immersive XR artwork series by Joanna Hoffmann that takes a unique artistic approach, drawing inspiration from the vast, interconnected networks of the rhizosphere—the symbiotic relationships between plant roots, fungi, and microorganisms. These natural networks, based on symbiosis, diversity, and interdependence, have evolved over millions of years to secure sustainable growth and survival for all organisms involved. The rhizosphere exemplifies a profound holobiosis, where life thrives through cooperation, creating dynamic ecosystems that adapt and evolve over deep time.
The artworks highlight the interconnectedness of life, bridging the gap between nature and culture. They refer to environmental systems as living cultural archives—repositories of ecological memory entwined with the stories of human settlement, agriculture, historical processes, and shifting belief systems.
RhiZones
VR, 360 stereoscopic narratives, / music: Andre Bartetzki
RHIZONES:
The basis of cultural change is the recognition that life on Earth is a planetary phenomenon and that each of us is an integral part of it. It implies a change in the current perspective of external observers and “managers” and placing ourselves inside our ecosystem to see what is more than our-selves about us.
As an artist, I asked myself how to change my perspective, look from within, shift the centre of gravity, and feel myself as a network of relations, a part of constantly evolving algorithms of life.
I imagine the world as a meta-rhizosphere, a dynamic system of data processing bridging deep past, Present, and Future(s), where organic and inorganic systems create one living whole.
Rhi-Zones are nodes of this imagined network and kind of portals which allow me to explore its inner dynamics.
Two RhiZones are currently being developed as part of the SPIN-FERT EU research on healthy soil and peat-free substrates: RhiZone: [Soil] and RhiZone: [Bog-Land]. They highlight the interconnectedness of life, bridging the gap between nature and culture while advocating for the protection of wetlands and sustainable horticultural practices.
