Zhe Li

In the context of the blurring of the boundary between Virtual Reality and Reality, where do we place ourselves when nothing seems clear? What do we aspire to under these changing circumstances? ‘Oscillating Fluid’ as a virtual art exhibition offers a new possibility of integration and creates a new social conception - ‘Relative Reality’, while critically reflecting on the transformation and impact of human identity in this context. 

‘Oscillating Fluid’ offers an interactive 'reality' transformation journey in the form of an offline exhibition. In this way, the audience can more clearly and intuitively experience the transformation process from physical space to virtual space, as well as the possibility of floating on the boundary between virtual space and reality. It is visually result-guided to illustrate the whole concept, allowing the audience to think deeply and reflect on it throughout the practice. 

The advent of virtual reality modules offers alternative versions and visions of reality that makes people believe that virtual reality is hard to separate from reality. However, what is the boundary between the virtual and the real? Do we exist in the virtual? Is there me here? These questions inspire me to think - What do we really aspire to? And why do we immerse ourselves in the virtual, is this an escape from reality? Therefore, I respond to this series of questions based on my practice and exploration. 

The intention of this project is to explore the boundary between the virtual and the real, to let audiences understand and reflect on the definition and transformation of self-identity and the nature of our being. This project is based on the post-human civilization (influenced by Jean Baudrillard's theoretical models and references of physical Reality and Virtual Reality), which leads to a new social conception - the existence of ‘Relative Reality’. It reflects the fluidity and fuzzy boundary between human identity and the environment. 

Cabbage is a metaphor for the mutability of human identity

-playing different kinds of roles between the virtual and the real, while the essence remains the same

What is 'Site'? 

'Site' is a place where something is, was, or will be built, or where something happened, is happening, or will happen—the Site mentioned here refers to a place. To be more precise, 'Site' is a place in a state. However, here we need to distinguish a confusing concept Is this Site a place or space. "Whereas space is understood as a physical, physical environment, the place is more closely tied to how people perceive, remember and feel. As a mixture of space, experience and memory, the place cannot exist without human perception.” 

According to Black Balanger and Carl Smith's statement, we can conclude that Site is just a medium, a kind of void. The existence of 'Site' as a place depends on whether humans are conscious or not. 

Consciousness is a necessary condition for the existence of 'Site'. 

Everything could be a site, Everything may be a place, Everything may not be a place. 

How do we perceive the world in the reconstructed social environment of the combination of virtual and reality in the post-human civilization? Does it exist? What is the connection between human and the "Site" themselves? 

Jean Baudrillard pointed out in “SImulacra and Simulation” (1981) that our entire reality is subject to the overrunning of the signs and symbols produced by the refraction of culture through media—‘ It is no longer a question of imitation, nor duplication, nor even parody. It is a question of substituting the signs of the real for the real’ 

"Site" uses electronic devices (smartphones) in the form of AR media, offers the audience an opportunity to re-perceive our original world from the perspective of a conscious observer. The audience is free to choose anything as an entry point to redefine and understand the place we are in and to find the truth behind it. In the form of digital vision, it explains that the core of the concept depends on human consciousness, to let the audience re-think and reflect deeply during the whole practice. 

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This project is about redefining and understanding the site we are currently in and whether it exists or not. What we need to explore in this project is the connection between 'Site' itself and human consciousness. 

Virtual existence in human perception and consciousness is the product of human consciousness. In other words, the virtual world is consciousness. 

Conscious is existence, the unconscious place is just the void.