3am
lost in the labyrinth of feeling
lost in the labyrinth of feeling
photo by Maria Petalidou
“3am” is a multi-sensory installation that blurs the boundaries between dreams and reality, exploring the fleeting moments of intimacy and longing.
The installation utilizes poetry, AI generated videos, sound, scent, and the space itself. 3am explores all the contradictory feelings often experienced in connection with romantic situations in the era of the internet and the ever-present overstimulation of the senses.
Written over the span of nearly five years, the poems serve as the foundation of the installation, forming the core narrative that shapes the entire experience. Inspired by a range of personal experiences, they weave together individual stories into a cohesive journey - blurring the boundaries between reality and fantasy. The collection of 12 poems delves into themes of desire, uncertainty, and the bittersweet nature of unfulfilled yearnings, capturing the complex and often contradictory emotions that accompany romantic infatuation.
photo by Andreas Spinos
The soundscapes were crafted by blending the artist’s recited poems, delivered in a hauntingly intimate tone, with carefully curated audio layers. Soft, muted song samples are interwoven with ambient sounds recorded across the world. These everyday life sounds, both familiar and elusive, evoke a sense of recognition while remaining just beyond identification. Played individually from different points in the space, the soundscapes create a dynamic auditory experience.
The videos projected through the space were generated from a collection of over 700 personal photographs, capturing both significant and everyday moments throughout the project. Using a simple AI generator app, the images were combined and transformed, extracting colors and shapes to create unique abstract stills. These stills were then carefully sorted, individually selected, and arranged to form the frames of each video. Projected through the space, the videos not only showcase a continuous flow of imagery but also dynamically transform the environment. The shifting light and visuals change in response to the number of visitors present, making the experience ever-evolving and immersive.
As 3am encourages contemplation on the threshold between consciousness and sleep, the layout of the space is determined by shapes lifted from drawings of the most common sleeping positions.
A lightweight, semi-transparent shimmering fabric adds an additional layer of dreamlike quality. The fabric reflects and refracts light, transforming the space into a tranquil environment where dreams seem to merge with reality allowing it to become a sanctuary for exploring intimate desires and fantasies in a judgment-free environment. The drawings themselves are hidden throughout the space in a way that allows the projected videos reflect off of the film and cast dynamic light patterns, illuminating the dark corners of the space with an ethereal glow.
A lightweight, semi-transparent shimmering fabric adds an additional layer of dreamlike quality. The fabric reflects and refracts light, transforming the space into a tranquil environment where dreams seem to merge with reality allowing it to become a sanctuary for exploring intimate desires and fantasies in a judgment-free environment. The drawings themselves are hidden throughout the space in a way that allows the projected videos reflect off of the film and cast dynamic light patterns, illuminating the dark corners of the space with an ethereal glow.
Four scents were created for the installation: 3:05am, 3:15am, 3:33am, and 3:58am.
Developed in collaboration with the Athens based perfume shop - IndieScent, the four distinctive fragrances perfumes cwere inspired by crowdsourced responses from friends and Instagram followers. Participants shared the scents that remind them of romantic interests and the feeling of having a crush, forming the foundation for each perfume’s composition. While each scent is distinct, together they create a cohesive and immersive sensory experience. Sprayed directly onto the fabric, the fragrances evolve throughout the day, shifting based on time and location within the space.
Developed in collaboration with the Athens based perfume shop - IndieScent, the four distinctive fragrances perfumes cwere inspired by crowdsourced responses from friends and Instagram followers. Participants shared the scents that remind them of romantic interests and the feeling of having a crush, forming the foundation for each perfume’s composition. While each scent is distinct, together they create a cohesive and immersive sensory experience. Sprayed directly onto the fabric, the fragrances evolve throughout the day, shifting based on time and location within the space.
In the installation, the figure of a specter-like persona serves as a blank canvas onto which visitors project their own emotions and desires. This symbolic figure represents the universality of human longing and the capacity for intimate connection beyond physical attributes.
3am is not merely an art installation but a journey into the depths of the subconscious, where dreams and reality intertwine.
photo by Afroditi Mamai