Bionic and The Wires

Bionic and the Wires use bionic arms to enable mushrooms
and plants to create music and visual art.

Their art explores the intelligence and responsiveness of the
natural world by transforming bio-electrical signals into
artistic expressions.

Performances often feature mushrooms and plants controllin
instruments and paintbrushes, creating abstract and intricate
artworks and compositions.

Bionic and the Wires challenge the traditional notion that art
is an exclusively human endeavour by demonstrating that
creativity can emerge from unexpected sources in nature. By
bridging the gap between technology and the natural world,
their work reframes art as an act that transcends human
hands, celebrating the inherent rhythms of non-human life
forms. They question the anthropocentric view of
creativity.

This is a mushroom playing in the wild in some woods near Glossop in Manchester. The attached sensors measure bio-electrical fluctuations in the mushroom. The fluctuations are converted into signals that control the robotic arms. The keyboard playing a synth in Ableton Live. Our art reveals the hidden world of nature. Plants and fungi are often overlooked, but they’re not so different from us. Scientists have found they can communicate with each other, remember things, and solve problems. We are very proud to say that this video was featured by Nature in Sept 2025. If you like what we’re doing please join as a channel member to unlock exclusive shorts, early video releases, and behind-the-scenes content. Every membership helps us build new instruments, explore new techniques, and create.

The project features a device called Plantwave, which turns biodata from organic objects into MIDI. This means that instead of composing the music, it’s simply sending “biofeedback creating true organic randomness,” Hultén says.