CoalescΞ is a piece that explores many themes that are important to me.
Centered on our main character, we experience this strange land that surrounds her through her eyes.
In the background, floating houses are tied up with strings, so as to not fly away. Something so heavy, stable and fundamental to our human civilization becomes light as balloons, and could float away any second.
All our material possessions are usually stored in houses. In this piece, they are heading for the clouds. This is a metaphor that suggests we're on the verge of making the flip from physical possessions to digital possessions. My attempt is to capture the feeling of uneasiness generated by this change.
Another main theme is progress. Throughout history, houses have been passed down from generation to generation; most of them last for centuries. They're what we have most in common with the people from ages ago. Our society has changed so much, our technology and knowledge have evolved so much, but our homes haven't. We still live in dwellings built centuries ago, so in a way progress has been slow - but that too is about to change.
CoalescΞ is trying to portray the idea that the man of the future will be fundamentally different from us, and that change will happen fast. Progress is exponential. We'll probably have more in common with people from 100 years ago than people living 100 years from now. We are headed into a strange world. My floating houses represent the inability to grasp and comprehend the world of tomorrow. The fear and excitement of the unknown.
The cats on the sides are a homage to Dali's elephants. In his painting, they were shown carrying obelisks, which are symbols of power and domination, but in my work I've replaced them with the symbol of Ether, an emblem of decentralization and distribution of power.
Their coming together represents the Merge, enabling progress and paving the way to our decentralized future.
