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magic mirror is an interactive piece that invites the viewer to explore the cyclical transformation of the landscape. Through interactions with a distance sensor, the viewer can simulate an astral projection of their mind+body through seven planes composed of interactive animations.
The animations are projected in a sculpture in the shape of a stoma, simulating a macroscopic view of the cells of duckweed—a tiny floating plant found on the surface of water bodies around the world, known for its exceptional ability to sense its environment. As a result, duckweed is currently used as a biosensor, and there is a wide range of studies on its potential in areas such as clean energy, water purification, and even as a food source.
The animations depict duckweed in its natural environment on the surface of Lake Hertel in Mont Saint-Hilaire, located on the traditional territory of the Abenaki Nation (Canada). This plant captivated the artist during a year-long residency on art and climate change at the Redpath Museum of Natural History in 2021.
The piece also serves as a repository of geographic data from 2021, drawing from various sources including visualizations from the NASA Scientific Visualization Studio, NASA’s Solar and Earth Observatories, Sentinel Hub satellite imagery, Digital Elevation Models, and specimens from McGill University’s Herbarium, among others.
Ultimately, the piece is an invitation to expand our current frame of observation. In doing so, we might come one step closer to the Symbiocene: an era in which humans (re)integrate with the rest of nature.
Image: Installation view at the exhibition En el filo del Caos II (2023)
Suratómica Art and Science Festival, Bogota - Photo: Lupita Chávez