Memento Mori, Remember You Will Die is a modern interpretation of the Memento Mori, exploring the concept that death brings meaning to life. The serene, peaceful installation is filled with creatures that are fully in the moment, present with their actions and environment. However, danger lurks with the presence of spiders, eluding to the fragility of life.
The spiders included in this installation are symbols of death as well as creativity. Their ceaselessness weaving and killing, building and destroying, remind us to be mindful of the choices we make. Just as the spider weaves a web, so too must we weave our own lives, serving as a reminder that our choices construct our lives.
Bumble bees are another feature in this environment, used as symbols of industry, creative activity, and fragility of life. They are a pivotal creature that harmonizes and establishes balance as they pollinate plants. Without bees, most plants would go extinct. The bee invites the viewer to participate in the collective conscious of the world for the betterment of mankind.
The installation is a magical place where sleek-blue animals have adapted to their watery environment. The animals, insects, and earth are all seamlessly adapted to each other, as they all are various shades of blue-grey. Animal, insect, and environment demonstrate the delicate balance of life. Animals hop from dome to dome, swim underwater, canoodle, and interact with the insects thriving in this peaceful environment. Spiders are camouflaged and creep through this strange world.
Viewers get to step into this world and observe this pristine environment without disturbing the activities at hand. The collection of insects in domes implies a peaceful co-existence with humans. It evokes a sense of reverence for this environment as it appears the flowers and insects are carefully collected, documented, and studied. It is a utopian vision of how humans can share the environment with all of nature’s wonders, and leave no harmful impact. We, the human viewers, complete the installation as we too enjoy the sublime presented here.
