Caroline “Caro” Chou

Collective Body of Work

Displayed on a long white table are a computer monitor featuring a waste-collecting game, an animatronic device, a mini-zine and some blocks of organic and fungi texture, and an orange mushroom sculpture. Above and to the right of the table are two large-scale canvas depicting flowers.

Caroline explores how electrical signals serve as communication within the mycelium of fungi and to the organisms around them. She is driven to break down complex scientific knowledge to be more accessible through interactive art.

Caroline Chou was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area. She is a first year Master’s student at Gallatin concentrating in mycology, community, health, art, and technology. With a background in microbiology, working alongside Asian youth challenging the stigma of mental health, and partnering with Bay Area residents building community power through art and storytelling, she recognizes that collaborative relationships are integral for community resilience not only in ecological environments but also in our vulnerable and marginalized communities. Inspired by the replenishing and symbiotic relationships fungi have with the world around them, she is interested in exploring ways to regenerate fractured relationships with the land, community, and systems of power through storytelling and interactive art.