Consequence : multimedia installation.

• Main Author: Tok, Wei Yuan.
• Other Authors: Shannon Lee Castleman
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2012
• Subjects: DRNTU::Visual arts and music::Visual arts
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/48931
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

Life in this world is in a constant state of flux, changing and adapting in order to continue existing. This is especially evident in animals, which are constantly evolving as a result of varied environmental factors such as loss of habitat and diminishing food supplies. Life that fails to do so, become extinct. Some of these factors changes happen naturally, while others are directly or indirectly caused by the acts of man. Examples include hunting for the former and climate for the latter. Therefore, it is safe to assume that animals in the future will be different from the way now, either in terms of behavior or physiology. In terms of physical change, this can manifest in minor ways, such as a shorter beak or longer legs, or more dramatically, such as the appearance of gills or a change in shape and size. This process is what is referred to as “evolution.” As the human population grows and our demands on the planet escalates, so does our impact on the planet, causing changes to the environment at an accelerated pace. Hence, more species then before are forced to adapt to at an unnatural rate. Nature struggles to keep up, and as a result, more and more species are failing to adapt to the changes introduced into our environment and are facing extinction. US scientists are claiming that as a result of human activity, we are currently in the midst of our sixth mass extinction of plants and animals with nearly fifty percent of all species disappearing. (Marc W. Cadotte, 2008). This extinction event, which has been referred to as the 6th Great Extinction, has the dubious honor of being the first mass extinction event that is not caused by natural or astral events, but by the actions of man. At the same time, advances in science and technology have allowed humans to tamper with animals on a variety of levels ranging from superficial to genetic. The latter results in the changing of fundamental things such as the opacity of skin. Consequence addresses these changes by taking the ramifications of this to logical and conceptual extremes, using real life examples of animal modification caused directly or indirectly by Men. By coming up with hypotheticals based on these examples, Consequence hints at a horrifying future that lies ahead if Man’s impact is left unchecked in his manipulation of the planet and it’s other inhabitants. Intended not as a reprimand, Consequence is a reminder of Man’s influence on the planet as well as his responsibility to the planet, while questioning to what extent are we willing to modify the other life forms for our own progress.