“Jellyeyes: Symbiosis, Evolution, Vision” presented by Scott
Symposium:
Session Title:
- Immersion(s) (short papers)
Presentation Title:
- Jellyeyes: Symbiosis, Evolution, Vision
Presentation Subtheme:
- Symbiotic Imaginaries
Presenter(s):
Venue(s):
Abstract:
Jellyeye allows the audience to explore the evolution of our camera-based eyes and the effects of climate change on symbiont behaviour in and artwork about the Barrier Reef environment. Jellyeye is a tribute to Lynn Margulis and her research into a symbiotic theory of evolution (Margulis 1970) and her critical reactions to Neo-Darwinist theories that are based on population genetics. (See Film 2018)
It is an augmented reality artwork based on the idea that all of life is deeply interconnected and collaborative has radical implications for how we look at ourselves, evolution, and the environment. Through this augmented reality platform, the audience can explore the more controversial evolution of chloroplasts in both our photoreceptors that help us to monitor light and in coral blue green algae which perform photosynthesis. According to Margulis and due to chloroplasts evolved from early interactions with cyanobacteria. The audience uses an embedded iPad to follow stories based on two characters and three evolutionary theories: structural evolution, co-evolution, and comparative evolution. How might climate change influence the evolution of species in the Coral Reef in the future? How can we “see” this environment differently?
