Is it possible for humans to embody, or fully understand, the mind of an animal? If the answer is yes, then how is consciousness defined? Hong Kong-based artist duo Zheng Mahler has taken philosopher Thomas Nagel’s 1974 essay ‘What is it like to be a bat?’ as the foundation for this exhibition.
Nagel argues that humans can only ever allude to the subjective experience of other animals. In other words, we can imagine what it’s like to fly on wings, to have bad vision, or to hunt using echolocation, but it is still only a human imagining a bat’s behaviour – and not a bat’s experience of being a bat.
To this end, Zheng Mahler has created a large-scale video installation based on their own research of bats living on Lantau island. In a first-person perspective, the viewer transforms from a human into a bat and journeys around a Mui Wo that has been rendered in psychedelic colours. A VR headset experience is also available for even further immersion into life as a bat. The exhibition also features an abstracted colour field video of a bat feeding ground, soundtracked by echolocation, as well as tile works showing different scenes from the main video installation.
Rooted in philosophy and Tibetan Buddhism meditative practices, Zheng Mahler’s exhibition invites visitors to think about the limits of consciousness, and whether there is scope to expand its understanding.
‘What is it like to be a (virtual) bat?’ is free, but prior registration is required so visitors can immerse themselves in the experience without being distracted by too many people around.
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