Mercury Surface (2022)

Mercury Surface is a constructed monolith installation with a built-in film, playing in loop accompanied by a QR sound experience. The monolith represents a gate or portal, placed by the vending machines in Kardinge Ice Rink in Groningen as part of Once Upon A Time exhibition. The placement of the monolith intends to interrupt the current space. Indeed, the monolith together with the film and sound, attempt to rupture the current physical time and space, by alluring you towards a gateway into another world, asking you to listen. The film speculates the story of an ancient messenger by awakening their messages carried through time. This ancient messenger ice skated to transport messages as quickly as possible, as these communicated an array of warnings, and oracles about our society’s future encounters.

The film installation begs the audience to question their human-centric position in the world and tune into alternative bodies within the multiverse and embody a hybrid way of existing. Hence, the name of the film, Mercury Surface: it is a reference to the messenger God in Roman mythology, as well as NASA’s robotic Messenger used to map 40% of Mercury’s surface, another planet outside our understandings of Earth. Mercury Surface whispers to you, to take a moment to listen to what other worlds (can potentially) reveal, especially through speculations such as oracles or warnings.

Mercury Surface film installation in Groningen, NL.