To Infinity... and Beyond!
2023
#interactive performance
International Art Week, ADEMA, Palma, Spain
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The creation of the artwork occurred in Spain and adopts a gaming format that metaphorically reflects Spain's colonial history. Our exploration of the "world" and the cosmos can be viewed as a different form of colonization.
The fundamental steps of the "game" involve:
Audience engaging in one-on-one arm-wrestling matches. The victor earns the opportunity to sign on the "galaxy."
Additional components include:
The host adorned with a crown featuring an image of a "Manila Galleon." The Manila Galleon, a sailboat from the Spanish colonial era, symbolizes one of the earliest instances of globalization through its trade routes.
Wearing an Earth mask (with Spain at the center), I maintain silence, using a microphone solely to project my "breathing" throughout the venue. Moreover, I sporadically toss chocolate coins, inspired by "Fortuna", the goddess of fate, symbolizing the unpredictable nature of life. Fortuna is often depicted as blind and accompanied by symbols such as a ship's helm, a sphere, or a cornucopia.
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The artwork takes its title from the iconic phrase of Buzz Lightyear, a character from "Toy Story": "To Infinity... and Beyond!" In the animated film, Buzz sees himself as the authentic "Buzz Lightyear," a "space ranger." However, his communicator is merely a sticker, and his laser gun is just an LED light. The character designed by Pixar also draws inspiration from the real-life American astronaut Buzz Aldrin.
Even "infinity" isn't enough; we have to go beyond. Are we supposed to keep exploring until human language invents an adjective more distant than "infinity"?
