For over five decades, Ceclia Vicuña has been exploring the power of quipu, an ancient South American recording and communication system made from knotted threads. This year, as the recipient of the annual Hyundai Commission, she presents “Brain Forest Quipu.” In Tate Modern’s Turbine Hall, she transforms the ancient device into a display of sculpture, sound, music, and video. At the heart of the exhibit are two ghostly 27-meter-long woven sculptures, hanging from the ceiling, resembling decayed trees. She wants to show the destruction of nature due to global warning, and also the violence Indigenous people have faced. “The Earth is a brain forest, and the quipu embraces all its interconnections,’ says Vicuña. Not only is the exhibition multidisciplinary, but it’s the product of human relationships. Vicuña collaborated with artists and activists to create this poignant installation. —C.M.