Livia Zumofen

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Entity   
Since the Rothenthurm Initiative was adopted in 1987, all raised bogs and fens in Switzerland have been under strict protection. The initiative led to Article 78 paragraph 5 being enshrined in the Swiss Federal Constitution, which prohibits any further destruction or impairment of these unique habitats. Raised bogs such as the Salwideli Moor in the UNESCO Biosphere Entlebuch are not only rare and sensitive ecosystems, but also play an important role in climate protection, as they store large amounts of CO₂. Nevertheless, many of these moors are threatened by past drainage, agricultural use and climate change, which makes their conservation and digital documentation all the more urgent.   
           Raising public awareness of the ecological importance of raised bogs is essential to ensure their long-term protection. However, it is crucial that increased awareness does not lead to increased visitor numbers, as even minor disturbance - such as walking on the moorland - can cause lasting damage to the sensitive vegetation.
           Digital technologies make it possible to preserve these landscapes in an innovative way and make them accessible without physically damaging them. In the computer games industry, nature is often digitally reconstructed to create immersive virtual worlds. In this project, we digitally captured a selection of bog plants and scenery using non-invasive 3D scanning techniques (photogrammetry and Gaussian splatting). 

          Entity is a transmedia work whose visual elements were created from the digitised moorland plants and landscape scans and were realised entirely with the help of 3D programs and game engines (Blender, Unreal Engine). The work reflects both the aesthetic qualities of the moorland landscapes as well as the process of digital capture and the materiality of the resulting digital twins. The combination of high-resolution 3D scans with speculative digital spaces creates an artistic exploration of the question of how nature can be preserved and transformed in virtual environments.
           The sonic elements of the work are based on audio recordings made on site in the moor using various microphones to record sound and vibration in different media such as water, earth, moss, wood and air. These recordings not only capture the acoustic atmosphere of the place, but also reveal hidden sounds of the damp earth, the water, the creatures living in it and the microbial processes that are normally inaudible to the human ear. The digital signal processing of the audio recordings picks up on the slow metabolism of the moor and leads to the composition of a surreal soundscape that lets you listen deep into the moor. Entity thus combines visual and auditory elements to create an immersive reflection on the relationship between real and virtual landscapes and on the fragility and changeability of these unique ecosystems.Collaborative work with Livia Zumofen (sound), Florian Amoser & Marcel Rickli (3D scan & images) and Smilla Diener (text). 

Created as part of a collaboration between the UNESCO Biosphere Entlebuch, the Transdisciplinarity Laboratory of ETHZ and the Master Transdisciplinarity in the Arts ZHdK.
ENTITY - Salwideli Asset LibraryVideo: 2K, Stereo Sound, 16:9, 11:39 min
Honorable Mention at DA-Z (Digital Arts Festival Zürich) 2025

Exhibited at:

2026
Hybrid Affections – Blurring Boundaries Between Art and Science, Kunstraum, Zurich University of the Arts, Zürich

2025
DA-Z (Digital Arts Festival Zürich)
Resonant Ecologies – Murmurcontemporary & Swiss Society for Acoustic Ecology, Montreux

2024
Schüpfheim 

Livia Zumofen © All Rights Reserved, 2026