Rat Tale

Immersion Installation

Rat Tale investigates the complex relationships between humans and animals, focusing on those that share urban spaces with us. The project aims to evoke emotions within the liminal zone between disgust and attraction. By creating physical proximity between rats and humans, it challenges our perceptions of the animals that coexist with us in the city.

The installation unfolds as an experience of discovery, gradually revealing different layers. From the outside, it appears white and sterile. To view the work, the audience must crawl underneath the box, where a dome on the underside allows them to peek inside. Placing one's head inside the dome slowly reveals a speculative underground world, shifting the viewer’s perspective to that of a rat.

Upon entering the dome, the space is initially dark, gradually illuminating as the visitor’s head triggers the light. Research on the cognitive aspects of disgust inspired this slow reveal, offering a unique visual perspective to encourage new ways of thinking. After one minute, a rear-projected video of a NYC sewer grate appears on the top of the box, suggesting a possible real-world location for this speculative environment.