Melody Chua (2017)
This installation presents the same scene from multiple cameras, all reflecting and feeding back into one another and stitched together into a single world. It is the idea of seeing something over and over again, from all different angles and distortions, to the point that instead of becoming more known, it becomes unknown. It is the feeling of being in between dimensions, a state of unknown flux and curious exploration, stuck in a world that does not obey the normal rules of time. And yet, interfacing with the unknown can be an experience that is not unnerving or traumatic, but instead, peaceful, ruminative, and perhaps a bit melancholic. This is Half a Horizon.
What you see is an endless array of reflections, contracting and expanding as you manipulate them with your touch. There is no end goal in this interaction, but to explore the oddly- dimensioned territory and observe your effect on the space. A cello plays melancholically in the distance, unperturbed by the strange environment it has found itself in. The low, persistent engine rumble and artificial oscillators remind you that you are not at home. And it is a good thing. Enjoy the world before you.
—
I would like to thank my friend, cellist Carol Tsai, for working with me to create and record the cello melodies used in this installation.
And special thanks to the ZHdK ICST for their support during this residency.
