In the dream, you are?
This cross-media work includes both a moving image component and an immersive installation space, combined with a virtual reality (VR) segment. Each part incorporates poetry and sound narratives as guiding elements. The moving image is derived from real photographs of slime mold movement within petri dishes, captured through microscope photography and transformed into dynamic visuals.
The work presents a post-human narrative set in the near future, where ecosystems are severely disrupted by human intervention, and the virtual world becomes a seductive "sanctuary." Trapped in the illusion of beauty and convenience offered by this digital refuge, people neglect the true state of their reality and themselves.
The narrative unfolds across two spaces, each carrying distinct metaphors, connected by the shared symbolic presence of slime mold. This organism, representing a fourth category of life, transcends the boundaries of bacteria, plants, and animals, acting as a symbolic bridge across the physical and virtual realms.
Philosophically, the piece aligns with the decentering effect brought about by the virtual world, blurring the lines between humans and other species, nature and the artificial, the material and the immaterial. The slime mold, with its ancient, enduring memory, stretches from the present into the future, weaving a storyline that spans across time. Its growth structure mirrors the intangible networks of the virtual world, reflecting both microcosmic and macrocosmic perspectives. Ultimately, the work questions human ontology, inviting the viewer to reflect: "In the dream, you are?"
Slime mold by Microscope photography
Slime Mold: A Symbolic and Evolving Life Form
Slime molds are ancient organisms bridging the gap between animals and fungi, embodying primal life. Their unique characteristics make them rich metaphors for interconnectedness and intelligence:
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Timelessness: As one of the oldest species, they symbolize the origins of life, existing outside traditional plant-animal-human classifications.
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Network Structure: Their web-like form parallels digital networks, linking the organic to the virtual.
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Adaptive Intelligence: Known for solving complex problems efficiently, they surpass artificial algorithms in certain tasks.
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Organic Uniqueness: Non-replicable and vital, they highlight the irreplaceable nature of organic systems.
Slime molds challenge human-centric narratives, reflecting on whether virtual networks evolve positively and how non-human intelligence reshapes our understanding of existence. Their enduring evolution and intricate forms mirror the digital world's interconnected and dynamic essence.
Images in video
A 4-minute, 21-second moving image constructed from a series of microscope photographs capturing different life cycle stages of slime mold.
Set within a post-human narrative framework, the work parallels the transformative life cycle of slime mold with the human condition, encapsulated and constrained by technological "rhizomes." Through the use of metaphorical poetry, the narrative unfolds, guiding viewers into a reflective exploration of these themes. A carefully crafted soundscape complements the storytelling, merging auditory and visual elements to examine humanity's entanglement with technology and its existential ramifications.
3D images
A VR experience that uses 3D modeling to create slime mold rhizome shapes that make the audience feel enveloped in it. The part of the narrative that takes over the moving image corresponds to the second half of the poem's narrative. Aiming to wake people up from being trapped in a technological prison.
Immersive space - White city
Presented as an immersive space in London's White City. One wall featured a projection of a moving image, while another displayed light and shadow refracted through spore-shaped glass installations.A third screen showcased real-time footage of audience members engaging with the VR experience, creating a layered interplay between physical and virtual realms.
Additionally, the work was exhibited at the CO-EXISTENCE art market in Shoreditch, London, hosted by the University of the Arts London.
Architectural projection - Hangzhou Olympic Center, China
The moving image component of the project was selected for presentation at the prestigious Hangzhou Art Festival. As the festival's largest showcase, it featured architectural projections on two iconic buildings within the Hangzhou Olympic Center. This grand display garnered significant media attention, highlighting the project’s innovative approach and its integration of art and urban architecture.