Martina Menegon’s “it’s a matter of perspective” was inspired by simulation theory-the idea that we are living in a computer simulation-and Zhuang Zhi’s concept of transformation in “Butterfly Dream.” In this story, Zhuang Zhi wakes up and recalls he had a dream of a butterfly. He then wonders whether he is a human dreaming of a butterfly, or perhaps a butterfly, dreaming he was human. Combining these ideas led Menegon to create an artwork that reflects the fluidity of self by presenting a continuously moving 3D scan of her body. On the screen, dozens of bodies flow in a dynamic state of motion, with a new one generated each second as an old one is deleted. In this way, the avatar’s sculptural form and movement are predetermined by a set of codes and constraints written into the program. The 3D clones exist in a liminal state, at once mysteriously attached and repelled by each other as they search for meaning. As Menegon says, “I’m in the perspective of me, but there are multiple me’s.” {text by Julie Walsh}

“it’s a matter of perspective” was commissioned by Julie Walsh and Feral File for the online permanent exhibition “The Bardo: Unpacking the Real” and is now existing in the blockchain as editions of NFTs to collect.

sound design: Alexander Martinz