Tuan Mu
Patikulamanasikara, 2022
VR experience for Oculus QUEST 2
The idea behind creating this work takes after a traditional Buddhist practice: “Patikulamanasikara”, reflections on repulsiveness. What is coined as the “contemplation of impurity” is as conducting an anatomical dissection by intent of thought, the Buddhist disciple takes what makes up his own body, the organs, fluids and filling tissues as the object of his contemplation. With this practice, the disciple develops a feeling of abjection towards the body, breaking away from the preoccupation of the flesh. "Patikulamanasikara”, this interactive VR installation places the viewer’s point of view inside a “virtual body”, synchronously allowing the viewer to control this “virtual body” with a VR touch controllers through inverse kinematics. In this artwork, the viewer seems to temporary access this virtual body. However, following the passing of time, ultimately, the viewer loses the power to control this “virtual body”. The artwork sends the experience of the viewer to circulate between virtual scape, body, and perception. At the same time, the practice of Patikulamanasikara reflects a certain understanding of the body. The artwork explores the body under the viewpoint of cyborg and post-humanism, providing another way to think about how the body is constructed, even imagined.
Credit:
VR Interactive Software Developer | Lin Hung
Sound Designer | Chen Lin-Shuang
Filmmaker | YUAN STUDIO Hsu Po-Yen
Special Thanks | Aymei, Chang Wen-Woan, Chang Yu-Cheng, Fan Chiao-Ssu, Liu Wen-Hao, Lu Wei, Ray He
Duration: 5mins, Roomscale
IMAGES
VIDEO LINK
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Born in 1994. Currently active in Taipei. Creative formats span across VR, video installation, and Oriental media. Earlier works were mainly ink wash painting on paper. More recently, Mu has begun to reference the aesthetic and philosophical views of the pan-East Asian culture, trying to interpret through alternative viewpoints mankind’s perceptive states within the experience of technology, including the subject-object experience in VR, and virtual experience of the body. In addition to personal creative context, Mu has also ventured into curatorial and interdisciplinary creative projects since 2019.
If you are interested in exhibiting or viewing this artistic VR experience, please send an email to us.
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