Chengxin Ella Cui

LIFE, OTHERWISE

This project is offering an aesthetical glance of the living world 1 million years later. It presents one of the future possibilities that will happen without human existence and tries to evoke that humans will only thrive if they do not position themselves in the center but rather among and in relationship with all life. 

Have you sensed the changes? Are you aware that the future is coming? It took the earth 5 billion years to form what we see today. living things may not notice the changes during their lifetime. Like what  Kevin Kelly said, You might not see a difference of 1 percent unless you turn around and look behind you. Every year, there are approximately 5 to 10,000 new species found in nature. With recent discoveries in 2024,  over 100 novel species were found in New Zealand.These newfound organisms stand as testament to the ongoing process of adaptation, showcasing the dynamic between life and its surroundings.  

5000 years later, the great earthquake happened. The earth's plates move towards the Pacific Ocean, causing the pacific to disappear. Asia and North America merge to form a central continent, while Africa and South America move in other directions and form independent islands. Others descended to the ocean. The climate has also changed, with extreme alternating cold and heat. Most of today’s vegetation cannot adapt to such changes.

By 2100, the world’s  population will explode to 11 billion. It is this growth and expansion that has made humanity the dominant on land. While it develops, we seem to rarely consider the future of the living world. However, nature is always changing, and life is always evolving.So why not take a step forward and look back at what we are at today and rethink everything. As mentioned in Monika Bielskyte’s protopia framework, we are facing a vast scope of many alternative futures. It is continuously being shaped not just by our actions but also by our inactions and our apathy. 

In this project, Most organisms will have disappeared, but some have adapted, and new ones are developing. Life is abundant there. So when we look back at today, we should not design solely for "ourselves." In the vision we strive to achieve, all living beings are considered. Learning from the biological world is our source of innovation. Move away from the concept of 'world-building' and shift towards 'world-growing. 

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