Unconscious Collective by cymatiste
Presented at IN VIEW: The Space Beneath Us, for Nuit Blanche East Danforth Toronto 2022.
Supported by East End Arts.
An animation on a custom display that features a changing figure sitting on the ground. Under the ground where they sit, roots stretch out and downward. This central character slowly morphs from one character into another, featuring different ages, sexes, and demographics. To the left and right, dreamlike illustrations of local flora and peoples, along with colourized historic photos of East Danforth, rise up from the bottom of the display and float upward. Using a motion sensor, the silhouettes of passersby are added to the animation as colourful glowing outlines.
This installation takes a broad and abstract approach to the theme “Space Beneath Us”, focusing on the diversity of the ancestors of the land. It depicts the depth of our influences and interconnectedness, in a style that evokes a deep dive into the collective unconscious. There is much more to our roots than we will ever know; we can only open our hearts and senses to receive such wisdom as we can from our ancestors, predecessors, and the earth itself.
Contact me to host a variation of Unconscious Collective for your community, neighbourhood or group.