Tuscany, Italy, July 22 – 26, 2024
Future Horizon is a global community with a shared vision: to create the regenerative future.
We host a gathering series under the same name that brings together visionaries and change makers to envision, build, and celebrate this vision.
Project Description:
“I am a stone. I repeat: a stone. I know you cannot understand me”:
this is the opening line of Essere pietra by Italo Calvino.
Portal of Memory is a project that seamlessly blends the ancient with the contemporary. The installation features ceramic pieces serving as canvases for the generative art geometries. These geometries are digitally mapped onto the ceramics, transforming them into dynamic, interactive art pieces.
The ceramic shapes are inspired by Platonic Solids, a concept known to the Etruscan civilization. During excavations on Monte Loffa near Padua, Italy, archaeologists discovered man-made dodecahedrons dating back to around 500 BC. These artifacts, likely used as toys or in games, demonstrate the Etruscans’ knowledge of Platonic Solids. This historical connection inspired the use of these geometric shapes in the project, adding depth and resonance. The ceramics are designed to contain stones from Tuscany, grounding the project in the region’s rich cultural heritage.
“Portal of Memory” invites participants to engage with both the physical and digital elements of the installation. The 13 ceramics, positioned as the geometry of the Fruit of Life, stand out as one of the most potent patterns in sacred geometry, often referred to as the ‘Holy of Holies’ due to its hidden placement within the renowned Flower of Life. The generative art geometries, created using code in collaboration with AI and digital mapping techniques, transform these static objects into dynamic entities.
The visuals continuously evolve, symbolizing the fluid nature of memory and time. Observing the shapes transform is akin to a mantra, fostering a meditative interaction for the audience, conveying the idea of unity and interconnectedness, fluidly passing from one stone to another, emphasizing the seamless flow of existence. “I am a stone. I repeat: a stone. I know you cannot understand me”: This opening line from Essere pietra by Italo Calvino encapsulates the essence of the project. Stones hold a temporal value within their material, keeping the memory of their journey.
Interview
Florencia S.M. Brück is an Italo-Argentine artist and programmer based in Milan. She explores the intersections of digital, virtual, and natural worlds through innovative installations. Her work addresses themes of time, perception, and humanity, exemplified in projects like “Out-of-Body,” “Tension and Interlude,” and “Being Human.” Featured in venues such as the Venice Biennale and Art Basel Miami, she has been active in the Metaverse since 2004 and co-founded the web3 company 9th.com.
“Portal of Memory” draws inspiration from Etruscan sacred geometries. How do you blend this ancient influence with contemporary digital mapping techniques?
“Portal of Memory” is a project where ancient and contemporary worlds coalesce. Etruscan sacred geometries form the backbone of the installation, embodying timeless principles of order and harmony found in nature. Through the magic of contemporary digital mapping, I project generative art visuals onto ceramic pieces, crafting a dynamic, kaleidoscopic experience.
Technology allows me to create visuals that showcase how from a simple circle, we can generate complex shapes inspired by sacred geometries such as the Seed of Life and the Fibonacci sequence. Observing the shapes transforming is akin to a mantra, fostering a meditative state. The geometries, mapped across 13 stones, convey unity and interconnectedness, fluidly passing from one stone to another, emphasizing the seamless flow of existence.
Can you tell us about the AI-generated video component of the installation? How does it complement the physical ceramic pieces?
The AI-generated video component acts as a living extension of the physical ceramic pieces, which I refer to as “stones.” The video projections, created using generative art software that interacts with stable diffusion, transform these static objects into dynamic entities. This interplay between the tangible and the digital encapsulates the project’s essence—melding the historic with the futuristic. The visuals, inspired by sacred geometries and natural patterns, are designed to interact with the stones, enhancing the theme of collective consciousness.
The project touches on collective consciousness. How does this relate to your experience with metaverse and web3 technologies?
My engagement with the metaverse and web3 technologies has always been about exploring new dimensions of collective experience and consciousness. “Portal of Memory” extends this exploration by creating a space where ancient wisdom and modern technology converge, inviting participants to connect on a deeper, more subconscious level. Just as the metaverse and web3 technologies facilitate decentralized and collective interactions, this installation aims to harness collective memory and consciousness, emphasizing our interconnectedness through time and space.
Your previous works have addressed themes like time, perception, and parallel universes. How do these themes manifest in this collaborative project?
In “Portal of Memory,” time, perception, and parallel universes are expressed through the juxtaposition of ancient materials and contemporary digital art. The ceramic pieces symbolize a static, historical timeline, while the ever-changing digital projections represent the fluidity and multiplicity of perception and memory. This interplay creates a dialogue between different eras and realities, encouraging viewers to ponder their place within these overlapping dimensions.
What do you hope attendees take away from “Portal of Memory”?
I hope attendees leave with a heightened sense of connection to both their personal and collective histories. By engaging with the installation, contemplating these patterns can be a form of mindfulness practice, a way of focusing the mind, and developing a sense of connectedness. The realization that memory and consciousness transcend individual existence is a key takeaway.
Lastly, what is your vision of a symbiotic future?
My vision of a symbiotic future envisions a world where technology and nature exist together in perfect harmony, each enhancing the other rather than causing any detriment. This ideal future sees digital advancements as tools that not only preserve but also celebrate our cultural heritage, thereby fostering a richer understanding of our collective human experience. Projects like “Portal of Memory” and “AI Futuristic Narratives in Historical Artistry” aim to increase human awareness regarding the necessity of protecting our innate humanity. This, in turn, would create a world that is more interconnected and enlightened.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/florenciabruck/