PLASTISAPIENS

PLASTISAPIENS, Miri Chekhanovich & Édith Jorisch

Take a deep breath in. Out. In. Out. Now relax and contemplate a world where plastic is completely integrated with the environment. PLASTISAPIENS is a meditative virtual reality experience that allows us to consider this world with curiosity, playfulness and even a sense of wonder. Rooted in modern scientific research, the narrative slowly gives way to a strangely beautiful and ironic speculative work of eco-fiction, a journey through time, evolution and imagined futures. By interacting with organisms around us, then watching as our virtual, organic selves merge with plastic, the experience creates a safe space to empathize with a material that binds us all. As we are gently guided through an awe-inspiring universe of hybrid bodies, we are ultimately left to ponder how the interchanging relationship between humans and the environment transforms our identity, right down to our DNA.

Canada, 15 minutes, 2022
Virtual Reality Film, Interactive seated or standing experience with controllers
PEGI 3 | For all ages
Language | English, French

About the artists

Miri Chekhanovich

Édith Jorisch

Miri Chekhanovich
A multidisciplinary visual artist, Miri Chekhanovich combines research in biomaterials, video, and installation. Born in Armenia, Miri grew up in Jerusalem and immigrated to Canada in 2013. She currently lives and works in Tiohtià:ke (Montreal), where she obtained her MFA at Concordia University, within the Department of Fibers and Material Practices. Her creation emerges from a gentle state of urgency, which leads her to sharing and intervening in the public space. She is interested in neglected materials, geological history, traumatic wounds and the illusion of time.

Édith Jorisch
Édith Jorisch is a Montreal-based filmmaker. Questioning contemporary notions of identity and migration, she directs and writes both documentary and fiction films. Her work takes a human, bittersweet look at the vices of our society.

Credits

Producers: The National Film Board of Canada (Marie-Pier Gauthier, Isabelle Repelin), Dpt. (Raphaëlle Sleurs), Lalibela Productions
Project Creator: Miri Chekhanovich, Édith Jorisch, Dpt.
Artistic Director: Nicolas S. Roy (Dpt.)
Experience Director: Maude Thibodeau (Dpt.)
Publisher: National Film Board of Canada
Key Collaborators:Canada Media Fund, The National Film Board of Canada, Makor Foundation of Israel, The Israel Film Council, The Ministry for Culture and Sports
Created by Dpt.