Daniel Steegmann Mangrané: Phantom (kingdom of all the animals and all the beasts in my name)

VR Installation
Tuesday to Sunday, 12 - 7 pm
Fridays, 12 - 9 pm
Blk 38, Malan Road #01-07 Gillman Barracks

An early experiment with virtual reality technologies, Phantom (kingdom of all the animals and all the beasts is my name) allows viewers to immerse themselves in
the Brazilian Mata Atlántica rainforest, one of the fastest disappearing ecosystems today. Upon wearing the headset, the viewer is enwrapped in the lush density of the forest. Foliage and plants, aerial and ground roots, intricate tree canopies and a thick understory dematerialise into a spectral environment made of point cloud renderings, complex constellations of greyscale dots that evolve in response to the viewer’s movements. Since the human body is not translated in the digital rendering, viewers are likely to experience a paradoxical sense of disembodiment inside a space that can only be navigated through corporeal movement. In its performative aspect, Phantom also complicates conventional modes of spectatorship: with only a single headset available, the viewer becomes a subject of display for the other visitors.

Part of Free Jazz IV. Geomancers