Tides rise and fall is a kinetic installation exploring the connection between marine life and lunar cycles. The time system in the ocean is influenced by lunar rhythms and tides. It challenges the human construction of time and envisions an alternative time system of fluidity and connection.
Project Video
Abstract
My research explores the intersection of biological time systems inherent in marine life behaviors, influenced by lunar rhythms and tides, and their challenging contrast with the human construction of time in the contexts of industrialization, capitalization, and computation. Adopting the lens of elemental media philosophy within media studies, my study contends that natural environments such as the ocean, should be considered as forms of media, sustaining human existence and shaping our digital technologies rooted in ancient practices. Built upon the perspective of natural environments as media, the metaphorical exploration of the ocean is further enriched through incorporating the field of "tidalectics," a perspective that conceptualizes the ocean as not only a natural environment but also as a way of thinking symbolizing fluidity, dynamics, and connection. To compare the biological time system in the ocean with the human construction of time, I also examined human’s infrastructure of time and its social and cultural influences in the context of capitalization and computation from the perspective of media studies. In the methodology part I drew insights from extensive scientific research on chronobiology, particularly the biological time system in the ocean that explores the connection between lunar rhythms and marine creature behavioral patterns. The research establishes a foundation for me to understand the time system in the ocean and draws connections between media studies and different science disciplines. In the last part I also incorporate case studies and artistic references related to the ocean and biological robots in order to envision the future work of my project for next semester. I want to use soft robotic and kinetic installation to create an imaginative marine creature whose movements respond dynamically to lunar rotation, offering a tangible expression of the interconnection between lunar cycle and biological time.
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