– Our legends are usually much more interesting. And in those times, the life of a stone was full of emotions.
– Really?
– Yes. Endless fun, volcanoes everywhere. Being a stone really meant something. No sedimentary nonsense.
You were either volcanic or you were nothing. That’s all changed, of course. Just think, who gets called a troll these days… Sometimes even plain old rocks… even chalk. I’d rather not speak if I could be written with. Terry Pratchett, “Thief of Time”
The exhibition explores the concept of spirits and ghosts as a metaphor for imperialist exploitation and a symbolic representation of lifeless entities, intertwining Japanese mythology and Western notions of animated objects – things that act and engage in a dialectic of objectification and a “lowest rank” reality. It presents a visionary depiction of a dreamlike future, not only after the end of the world, but also following the demise of another civilization, manifesting as a comically eerie metaverse where everything and everyone merge into a unified consciousness. This collective intelligence resembles an invisible and expansive underground mycelium. However, it observes the memes we have created without recognizing the faces that originated them, not because of its incapacity, but due to their nonexistence. Rather, they have developed their own identities.
Terence McKenna, an ethnobotanist and philosopher, asserted in “Stoned Ape” that without hallucinogenic mushrooms, we would still be primitive and mute apes. If we had not ceased their consumption, social hierarchy might exist merely as a fabricated or AI-generated recollection.
***
The term “Cave Automatic Virtual Environment” (CAVE) within the metaverse denotes a virtual space enclosed by virtual walls, allowing individuals to personalize it as a three-dimensional room adorned with paintings according to their preferences. However, it transcends being merely a personal sanctuary, enabling individuals to embody their desired identities. In this regard, augmented reality emerges as an alternative form of existence, a realm where time holds no sway. Simultaneously, in a parallel world, the mushroom civilization metamorphoses humanity into an amorphous stratum of rock. The exhibition comprises sculptures crafted from discarded objects inspired by mythology, prehistoric artworks, and the shape-shifting intelligence of mycelium. A TikTok video accompanies the installation, featuring the artist exploring the cave adorned with contemporary meme drawings, accompanied by an anthropomorphic stone puppet created from meteorites acquired on eBay. The title is borrowed from an internet meme illustrating the subterranean network of mycelium, connecting, and sharing resources with the roots of trees.
— Ania Batko