N.V.D.: Nature Viewing Device Sculpture by Gaia Gia
Sculpture: N.V.D.: Nature Viewing Device, 2025
Electronic display, patinated copper, brass, cold enamel, tinted glass, acrylic, resin, faux moss, yarn; fabrication, raising, Pepper’s Ghost illusion construction, digital display integration, crochet.
28 cm x 15.2 cm x 12.7 cm
Retail Price: NFS
Through this work, I imagined an alternative future in which plant life has gone extinct and exists only as a digital simulation. I questioned how technology mediates our relationship to the natural world and whether digital simulations can replace that connection. I contrasted the green patinated copper that suggests age and regrowth with a holographic image of an abstract plant that appears futuristic and otherworldly. I used the Pepper’s Ghost illusion to project a 3D-modeled plant from a hidden screen to achieve this effect. The shape and form resembles a butterfly which symbolizes transformation and growth, while the cold enamel lines add a biomorphic quality. Additionally, I contextualized the piece into its narrative by displaying it on a faux moss mat.
