Special Presentation: An Evening with Modern Biology

Set against the contemplative landscape on The Great Lawn at VanDusen Botanical Garden, Modern Biology’s special outdoor offering for Indian Summer Festival 2026 unfolds as an immersive meditation on sound, ecology, rupture and possibility. The improvised electronic performance uses plant bioelectricity to create the tranquil energy Modern Biology’s shows have become known for, inspired by the work of polymath Jagdish Chandra Bose, one of the pioneers of plant electricity in the early 1900s. The sound draws on the emotional depth and temporal expansiveness of raga as both a structure and metaphor, inviting audiences into a sonic terrain where grief, resilience, and renewal coexist.
Take inspiration from the mycelium from which Modern Biology draws his signature “mushroom music” sound and lean into a feeling of interconnectedness with both your natural surroundings and the Indian Summer Festival community. Soak in this unique, site-responsive, one-time only activation under the cover of VanDusen Botanical Garden’s lush summer foliage.
As a picnic style event, you are invited to bring blankets, cushions, festival chairs, and other comforts from home to elevate the grounded, meditative journey you embark on. For further access information, please see details under “Accessibility Information.”
Since his last performance with Indian Summer Festival, Modern Biology’s reach has exploded; his work has been viewed over 200 million times and amassed him over 1.5 million followers on social media, with features in publications like The Guardian, BBC, Genius, Vice, The Verge, LA Times and DJ Mag, among others. We are thrilled to have him back for this truly special, once in a lifetime night.