Mimesis is a large-scale installation that draws inspiration from the biological evolution of life on Earth, while exploring the impact of human activity on our planet. It seeks to engage with an optimistic vision of what can be preserved, altered, or improved in our ecosystem, while also reflecting on the consequences of our actions on various habitats. Since the beginning of our history, we as humans have tried to imitate and reproduce aspects of reality in order to create a meaningful representation of everything that surrounds us. How can we represent the scenario that is ahead of us, our future planet? Through this work we try to reveal how the future will be influenced by the way we interact with the environment.

To achieve this, we developed a generative system that collects and processes real-time data from the local environment where the installation is staged. These data constantly affect the visual and sonic outcome, generating an evolving, audio-visual depiction of the future environment we may one day inhabit.

This concept is not understood just in the mere sense of reproduction or illusory image of nature but rather as a manifestation. Thanks to the real-time interaction of data from atmospheric measurement, nature appears in the digital image to be intensified in its processuality and unpredictability. Thus, Mimesis not only gives back an unprecedented knowledge of the aspects of nature that often go unnoticed, but also increases our awareness of the effects of human action on the environment.

For the project, we were contacted by the communication agency JL Design, which was working on behalf of a Shanghai (CN) mall as the final client. The project aimed to use LED walls to host artworks that were closely connected to the themes of sustainability and the environmental impact of the building. The primary goal was to communicate the relationship between humans and the environment, as well as highlight the mall’s commitment to green construction practices.

We focused on how Mimesis could be adapted to this new context, integrating the visual and sonic components to convey the themes of ecological succession and the balance between human activity and the natural world. The development of the project was an exciting process that involved adapting the generative system used in Mimesis to the specific needs of the LED walls and the dynamic environment of the mall. The making of this installation was a careful balance of technology and sustainability, with the goal of creating an immersive experience that resonated with visitors. Through a combination of digital imagery and sound, we were able to translate complex ecological processes into a form that was both engaging and thought-provoking, helping to tell the story of a building designed with sustainability at its core.