Virtual Native (2011)
Virtual Native (2011) is an augmented reality artwork that uses the ‘Layar’ platform. It was made for the (un)seen sculptures exhibition curated by Warren Armstrong.
“this flora you see before you it has always existed. back in time, long, long before history, they sought each other out in the oceans of possibility. many have spoken of a site of infinite combinatorial possibilities from where they came. this place from where they came has been called many things, though few comprehend its full magnitude and i know of none who have viewed it without the use of abstraction. i call them ‘the children of the sky islanders’ – this being in respect to a long lost explorer of these places, an explorer whose journals first led me to the tiny seed from which this system has grown. the seed contained only two small fragments, these fragments needing much guidance from my own hand to realise their full potential. these creatures are direct inheritors of the original contents of that seed. it has not been an easy road by any means. for a very long time my desire to see them flourish repeatedly ended in failure. often i had to resort to artificial means. yes, artificial! to look upon them as individuals is, of course, a mistake – though it is a mistake i gladly make...for it is in their individuality that i find comfort. differentiation carries with it the identity that i am certain they must crave.
it is with this in mind that i invite you to observe them with me, and spend a short time listening to their song…”
