Of Human Origin

Of Human Origin is an installation about the imprint we make as human beings. If the remains of human society are found by other intelligent beings long after we are gone, what will they see, will they see Shakespeare, will they see van Gogh or will they just wonder over a plastic flamingo that was thrown away and survived the ages because plastic doesn’t deteriorate.

The construction is made of a large cubicle of wooden crates. Crates that are used to ship products all over the world. The crates are lit form the inside by a slow pulsing green light. One side of the cubicle is filled with orphan objects, household goods of the citizens of Sydney which they don’t need anymore because they are broken, out of fashion or have no use anymore and are donated to the project. Each object will be photographed, catalogued, painted white and mounted on one side of the cubicle. 

A mapped video projection will create the illusion that the objects are covered by ivy, absorbed by nature. A rotating green light will scan the surface as a radar, detecting the objects one by one and make them light up in their original colors for one short bright and colorful flash, like the blip on a radar screen, symbolizing the short and colorful imprint we make as human beings in the total existence of the universe. With every rotation different objects will light up, so the installation will be changing and will look different all the time.