PROTOPIA SERIES
> Speculative Multi-Media Design, 2021-2022
A series of experiments into the co-evolution between humans and technology, which contains two works: With Xanthium Overspread and I.Amphibia.
Protopia theory was proposed by Kevin Kelly (2011), referring to the everyday progress to the future. Inspired by that, I looked into the clues of techno-evolution in our daily life and experimented with filming, 3D modelling, AR interaction to create works.
I think our destination is neither utopia nor dystopia nor status quo, but protopia.
Protopia is a state that is better than today than yesterday, although it might be
only a little better.
(Kevin Kelly, 2011)
<PROJECT 1>
WITH XANTHIUM OVERSPREAD
Macro-evolution is hidden in our micro-daily: Humanity is gradually evolving into a species in conjunction with the Internet, with every click in everyday life, but without being aware of it.
Xanthium is the mark left on people by the environment, while e-Xanthium is the mark on people by the internet environment, serving as a clue to the evolving process.
To express this speculative idea, I shot a two-channel video, in which I used the mapping of natural-Xanthium and e-Xanthium to tell a story in a highly internet-enabled future. In this video, two “walkers” carrying different xanthium were lost in the wild and met each other.
In the Chinese poem "I walk in the wild", the opposition between macro-nature and micro-human creates a deep sense of powerlessness. Tech-nature always brings me the same feeling. Through this video, I hope to express the powerlessness of being amid tech evolution day in and day out.
宏大的进化藏在微观的日常之中：我们在每一次点击之中，涉入与互联网结合的未来，却无意识于此。如果沾上苍耳是涉入田野的痕迹，那么在互联网看不见的角落——屏幕背后沾上的苍耳，或许是人类进化的端倪。
为了表达这一推测性观念，我拍摄了一部双屏影像短片，讲述在2050年互联网高度发展的未来，两个走路员分别沾上自然苍耳和电子苍耳、并相遇的故事。
诗经的《我行其野》中，宏大自然与渺小人类的对立，形成了一种深深的无力感，技术自然带给我的感受也是如此。我希望能够通过这部影像作品，表达日复一日身处技术进化之中的、抽丝般的无力感。
Award:
Award of Excellence, Multimedia Design Uni,
The 22st Platinum Originality International University Students Graphic Design Competition
Award of Excellence, Multimedia Design Uni,
The 22st Platinum Originality International University Students Graphic Design Competition
<PROJECT 2>
I.AMPHIBIA
Living between the virtual and the real, humans will become the new AMPHIBIA.
This work speculates on the metamorphosis of human organs (labyrinth and eyeball) under the influence of metaverse environment-induced maladaptations, aiming to revealing the ongoing techno-cultural evolution of humanity.
To bring this concept to life, I used 3D motion design and AR interaction. This allows audiences to visualize and experience this evolving journey firsthand.
从海洋进入陆地，动物器官为适应新环境而变态发育，两栖动物诞生。
从现实进入虚拟，我们也会感到视觉疲劳、屏幕晕眩。人类器官是否会为适应虚拟环境而变异？人类会成为新的两栖动物吗？
此作品推测了人类器官（控制前庭觉的耳蜗&控制视觉的眼球）在元宇宙不适应症影响下的变态发育，试图揭示人类的技术文化进化进程。
为生动表现这一概念，我设计了三维动画海报和AR互动程序，让受众能够直观感受、亲身体验器官变态发育的过程。
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