A new model of citizenship rooted in nature.
The Ministry of Biosymphony is an immersive and participatory installation that transforms BASE Milano into an outpost of an alternative multinational government agency. Here, visitors undergo a unique experience of identity formation, not based on nationality or human borders, but on natural patterns and ecosystems. Through playful yet thought-provoking interactions, the project invites participants to rethink their connection with nature and community through biomimetic principles.
At the heart of the project is a ritualistic initiation into a new biocitizenship. Upon entering the Ministry, visitors are greeted by bureaucrats who conduct a three-question pattern recognition interview to determine their natural affinity. Are they most attuned to the clouds, the forest, the desert, the ocean, the snow, or the rain? Based on their responses, they are assigned a biocitizenship and given an ambassador pin representing their new identity. Each participant receives a field assignment, complete with coordinates and times for a secret assembly that aligns with their biorhythm—cloud ambassadors, for instance, gather in a place where the Milanese sky is most visible.
The physical space of the installation mimics a governmental border station, with hand-painted signs, flagpoles displaying the emblems of each biocitizenship, official rubber stamps, and biomimetic artifacts. The staff, playing the role of solemn yet enigmatic bureaucrats, process applications with the seriousness of an official administration. However, instead of regulating movement across geopolitical borders, this Ministry facilitates movement through natural cycles, encouraging participants to embrace a new sense of belonging that transcends artificial divisions.
Through the Making Kin initiative, the project extends beyond the installation itself, fostering a community bound by shared biomimetic experiences. Each biocitizen receives a protocol for observing and interacting with their respective element. Cloud ambassadors, for example, are encouraged to track cloud patterns, document migrations, and contribute to a collective Cloud Atlas. These shared practices form the basis of an ongoing dialogue, evolving into a network of nature-inspired kinships that continue through social media and future gatherings.
This project builds upon Kairos Futura’s exploration of alternative forms of citizenship—ones that emerge from daily interactions with nature rather than from political institutions. It challenges contemporary notions of identity by proposing a system where human affiliations are guided by ecological rhythms rather than borders. In a time of climate crisis and environmental alienation, the Ministry of Biosymphony offers a poetic and radical reimagining of how we define community, responsibility, and connection in an interconnected world.