Plastisapiens

As porous beings, we are creatures of our environment. The more we saturate what surrounds us with plastic, the more plastic we become. 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 VR experience that allows us to consider this world with curiosity, playfulness, even a sense of wonder. The relationship between humans and plastic pollution is often presented as a one-way street. The year 1907 marks the first time a material was synthesized from fossil fuels, and now that material can be found everywhere from “garbage islands” in the ocean to microplastics swimming in human bloodstreams. Rooted in scientific research, the Plastisapiens narrative slowly gives way to a strangely beautiful, speculative and ironic work of eco-fiction, a journey through time, evolution and imagined futures. As we interact with organisms around us, then watch as our virtual, organic selves merge with plastic pollution, the experience creates a safe space to empathize with a material that binds us all.