In this work, Val explores and represents the behavior of a slime mold known as Hemitrichia serpula, or the pretzel slime mold. This microorganism inhabits the swamps of Berlin, and due to the loss of alluvial forests, it faces threats alongside other slime species.

The organism’s unique branching design and collective behavior inspire the piece. Despite having neither a brain nor a nervous system, this slime mold demonstrates an intelligent system that allows it to interact with and respond to environmental stimuli, creating tube-like threads that form a network for growth, feeding, and reproduction. These networks share similarities with humans like their blood patterns, and cosmic systems, like the connection between galaxies, highlighting the interconnectedness of all living beings, from the micro to the macro and from the internal to the external.