Project

Perlijn, How a Pod Taught the Earth to Listen

Country

The Netherlands

Amidst the traditional exposition rooms of the Symbiocene Forest, visitors are met with a lush scenery of wild plants, where at the heart rests a lifelike fetus on an altar, gently breathing among the leaves—its heartbeat visible, softly audible, and profoundly present. People can take a seat on the many treestumps surrounding the altar and listen to the narrator, who unfolds the origin story of this young being named Perlijn. Authentic forest sounds drift through the room, creating an atmosphere that feels calm, intimate, and unmistakably alive.

This experience is Perlijn – How a Pod Taught the Earth to Listen – from the artists Noëlle Ingeveldt and Juriaan van Berkel of Studio Berkveldt. Its a scenographic installation and mythical narrative about transformation, interconnectedness, and a renewed bond with the earth. Drawing inspiration from Pythagorean philosophy—where beans are linked to souls and the origins of life—the pod emerges as a living heart of reciprocity, sustaining and connecting human, plant, and soil. The work was created in collaboration with scientist Frank Lee Harris, Donát István Kuti, Otto Calmeijer Meijburg, Stacy Pyett, Arjan Sterken, and Remco de Kluizenaar.