AVVAMM, 2017

In Audible Vegetable Visible Animal Magic Mineral (AVVAMM): Semi-Postanthropocentric Reenactments for a Terracqueous Orb, I sought to explore the intersections of sensory perception, geophysical disruptions, and the relational dynamics between humans, plants, animals, and sound. This immersive audio-video installation presented an environment where viewers could physically engage with a living scenography, surrounded by house plants within a moiré-patterned textile structure. The work was designed as a space for introspection and embodied interaction, fostering contemplative dialogues on the effects of environmental change, both on the psyche and physical form of various life forms.

The installation's centerpiece was a five-minute video loop of a juvenile sub-tropical aquatic snail, suspended in an artificial whirlpool. Its frantic movement—mirrored by the apparent doubling of its shell through surface reflections—evoked a sense of timeless struggle and fluidity. This snail’s ceaseless motion, propelled by synthetic currents, became a metaphor for the relentless forces of nature, while the tuning fork sounds embedded in the structure provided an auditory counterpart to this visual performance. The tonal frequencies of the tuning forks served as a vehicle for exploring how sound waves—physical indicators of geophysical disturbances—manifest across different mediums, from mineral layers to the formation of bones and shells.

I designed the installation as a speculative "garden" of interconnected, living components—plants, sound, and video—inviting viewers to engage with a narrative that unfolded through their physical presence in the space. The plants, housed in pots, assumed anthropomorphic qualities, becoming characters in a dynamic, ever-shifting play. The installation was both an artistic set and a physical structure for reflection, offering a space for introspection and stillness amid the stresses of urban life. Visitors could sit or lie within the installation, their movement shifting the plant forms, the shadows, and the tone of the work itself. It became a microcosm, offering the experience of relational dialogue between human bodies and the broader ecosystem.

Through this work, I aimed to address questions of how we, as humans, interact with and are influenced by our environment on both a physical and emotional level. What are the effects of geophysical disruptions—both natural and artificial—on our bodies and minds? How do the sound frequencies we encounter in daily life impact our emotional and physical states, and how can these disturbances be reframed within an aesthetic context to foster deeper, more reflective interactions?