The Chapel of Natural Intelligence is a forthcoming installation project that revisits the timeless human practice of invocation – becoming humble and appealing to a higher force for help. In the place of a deity, however, The Chapel asks us to open to the more-than-human world to receive wisdom and direction for negotiating life on our shared planet in these challenging times.  

The installation combines programming and imagery to create a doorway between familiar and forgotten worlds. The ‘stained glass’ that creates a recognizably reverent space is full of cascades and bursts of leaves from Berkshire County, Massachusetts where the piece will be installed. These “windows” – photographs of backlit leaves – invite the spirits of the trees into a resonant space. Participants are asked to join intention with others, creating a field of inquiry and a field of receptivity to better invoke, and better hear our more-than-human kin. The artist encourages viewers to share the answers they receive and weaves the responses into the ever-evolving installation.

The artist gathered leaves in Autumn 2025 and photographed 270 panels with her self-built device dubbed ‘The Macroscope.’ This allows her to press leaf compositions between sheets of glass and backlight them with the sun. The intense golden spectrum of light reveals wild kaleidoscopes of hidden patterns, structures and, most importantly, pays homage to the powerful life force and design intelligence of our plant and tree kin. The panels, constituting 450 square feet of imagery, will be printed onto transparent media and backlit in the installation.