By Dhabia AlMansoori, Joseph Hong, Maitha AlGhfeli and Salama Almheiri
The Oasis is a set of mechanical lotus flowers that interact with light in order to challenge the presumption of a lifeless, barren desert. The flowers are designed to be static artworks, buried into the crests of sand dunes. During the day, they remain closed, capturing the light of the sun as they recharge. As the sun descends below the horizon, the flowers come to life, blooming as they cast a soft light onto the sand below and transforming the space around them. Even in a place seemingly desolate as the desert, there is still life–– though often seen only at night, when the temperature is more suitable for movement. This installation represents the life of those small things, and the blue glow it casts upon the sand attracts this life; as small insects and creatures gather around the flowers, they become their namesake–– an oasis.
Desert Installation
Ars Electronica 2023
The installation was also exhibited at the Campus Exhibition of the international Ars Electronica Festival in Linz, Austria, and gathered great interest from members of the community. It was displayed on the homepage of the festival and promotional content due to its aesthetics and themes of the intertwining of the natural and artificial. Link to the site.
Exhibition – IM Showcase, Fall 2022
