MAGRITTE
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Space Is Constructed In Brain
installation for space perception
personal project
Neuroscientific researches suggest that the sense of space only emerges when the memories and experiences recorded on the cognitive map are evoked by brain, as the result of an enriched environment stimulus received by self-locomotion. To put it another way, the physical environment functions as a time machine that shuttles individuals between different mental spaces.
Beyond our existence, spatial perceptions and memories may have far-reaching implications for human beings: they shape our self-recognition. Spaces from the cognitive map serve as cornerstones of our individual identities, with which we forge the unique narratives of our lives, carry out our actions and decisions, as well as illustrate our reveries and future dreams.
However, from the invention of the first camera in 1839, which marked the beginning of mass reproduction and dissemination of images, to the popularity of NFT artworks and virtual realities, the explosive electronic image dissemination has not only blurred the boundaries of physical space-time environment, but also deprived brain of the opportunities for mental processing, resulting in the "space" generated on the cognitive map becoming "flattened". It provokes us to think, can virtual space truly replace physical space? What do sensory stimulation, physical space, and mental "space" really mean to humans?
The design of Magritte calls into the notion that the effort and preparation that goes into the journey to reach/see is part of what creates the mental space. Even when viewing a static work of art, the back and forth movement of the viewer's body, the shift of focus of the eye, etc. can create INTER-actions between mind and environment. The position we puts ourselves in determines what the mental space is like, and it matters a lot.
Magritte uses the concept of mirror and cognitive map to interpret the differences between image-driven virtual space and physically-perceived space. It translates the procedure of acquiring environmental stimulus into a labyrinth-like space that people can experience it in person, with the goal of showing the different psychological sensations evoked by the environment with different information density.
Jan 2021
personal project
Neuroscientific researches suggest that the sense of space only emerges when the memories and experiences recorded on the cognitive map are evoked by brain, as the result of an enriched environment stimulus received by self-locomotion. To put it another way, the physical environment functions as a time machine that shuttles individuals between different mental spaces.
Beyond our existence, spatial perceptions and memories may have far-reaching implications for human beings: they shape our self-recognition. Spaces from the cognitive map serve as cornerstones of our individual identities, with which we forge the unique narratives of our lives, carry out our actions and decisions, as well as illustrate our reveries and future dreams.
However, from the invention of the first camera in 1839, which marked the beginning of mass reproduction and dissemination of images, to the popularity of NFT artworks and virtual realities, the explosive electronic image dissemination has not only blurred the boundaries of physical space-time environment, but also deprived brain of the opportunities for mental processing, resulting in the "space" generated on the cognitive map becoming "flattened". It provokes us to think, can virtual space truly replace physical space? What do sensory stimulation, physical space, and mental "space" really mean to humans?
The design of Magritte calls into the notion that the effort and preparation that goes into the journey to reach/see is part of what creates the mental space. Even when viewing a static work of art, the back and forth movement of the viewer's body, the shift of focus of the eye, etc. can create INTER-actions between mind and environment. The position we puts ourselves in determines what the mental space is like, and it matters a lot.
Magritte uses the concept of mirror and cognitive map to interpret the differences between image-driven virtual space and physically-perceived space. It translates the procedure of acquiring environmental stimulus into a labyrinth-like space that people can experience it in person, with the goal of showing the different psychological sensations evoked by the environment with different information density.
Jan 2021