Turning Adversity into Art
In 2019, musician Helen Anahita Wilson faced a breast cancer diagnosis. Subsequently, her journey through treatment became the inspiration for her innovative work Linea Naturalis, where she transformed the micro-electric fluctuations of plants utilized in anti-cancer therapies and chemotherapy into a 45-minute musical composition.
Collaborating with Nature
In the creation of her piece, Wilson partnered with London’s Chelsea Physic Garden, a botanical haven housing a diverse collection of specimens known for their medicinal and healing properties. She captured 28 bioelectric recordings from plants integral to cancer treatment, such as the Madagascan periwinkle and the English yew.
Transforming Nature’s Voice
Wilson translated the unique bioelectric signatures of each plant—shaped by factors like light, temperature, and wound healing—into audible sounds, ultimately layering them to produce a captivating composition. Reflecting on her own healing journey, she remarked, “Having had chemotherapy and surgery and radiotherapy, I’ve done a lot of wound healing myself.”
