This is the presentation of the project Artefact

It started with a film of brain scanning at V&A Museum, used to create a digital model of neural work. 

when I study the whole brain emulation, the word “Immortality Technology” came to my eyes.By transfer your brain into digital existence, you may live forever.

There are many arguments on body and mind and merge with machines, but scientist insist on body no longer matters, digital human consciousness can be moved between bodies.

Which means you could be anywhere.

While researching the immortality technology, I kept asking myself “Do you want to be immortal? How ?” “What would happen if I upload my mind? “ “What’s the relationship between body, brain, and mind ?”

I always feel that my body is taken control by several me, if my mind could be uploaded, these several me may fight with each other. So I started to ask myself “How many Mowen do I have ?”

Well, one year ago when I celebrated my birthday, I saw 5 Mowen sitting there eating a cake together, the table was too small for all of us.

Now, I counted them seriously again, and I found 9 Mowen! One by one, I use the monoprint to create their images.

I drew all the process of what’s going on in my mind, then stuck them on the wall, which I called it My Brain Activity.

After the brain activity, I studied the anatomy and functions of the brain again, to figure out the relationship between body,  brain, and mind.

Then I created My Body Activity, by lying down on paper, draw my body outline while positioning different Mowens. 

I cut these body outlines and stuck them on the wall by my brain activity.

I painted my different personalities and emotions on these bodies.

After the brain and body activities, I look at the 9 Mowens, they are still dissociated,  but if all of them will be uploaded to a new body, what will that be?

I want to design a costume to present the process from dissociation to association. Since I didn’t know how to make a garment, I transformed the 9 Mowens into different pieces then sewed them into a mini Mowen.

Then by looking at collections from Viktor& Rold, Edda Gimnes, Issey Miyake and Irving Penn, I got inspirations on designing my costume.

Here you can see the process, I used my own body and my oversized coat as basic shape, then painted on the cotton drill with my left hand to achieve more free and fluid lines.

I got these pieces ready for my garment in the end.

Next, I hand sewed all pieces together into one.

One costume is not enough, I also designed my sunglasses, shoes, mask, and kerchief.

I love being photographed, it’s a celebration to self. So I wore my costume in front of my paintings, Thanks to Friedel, he helped me to shoot these amazing photos.

When I looked this photo with my back, I can’t figure out where is me. I became part of my paintings, I am my art. 

This costume is not only for woman, when Friedel wore it, I asked him if he felt girlish or not, but he also said no, “I felt powerful.” (here invited Friedel to be model  in the garment)

I appreciate this process as my path to immortality, from dissociation to association. In the end, all of 9 Mowens achieves the harmony in one body.

Thanks for listening.

Mowen 

Royal College of Art, London
2018.10.19