Photo | R Satish Babu
Photo | R Satish Babu

To infinity and beyond

I love that and that’s what I wanted to do. I am also interested in AI and so I have expanded it,” shared Mika Johnson, creative director.

CHENNAI: The Infinite Library is many things it is the Earth, its memories and a reminder of all that humans have polluted. Inspired by Argentine author and librarian Jorge Luis Borges’ The Library of Babel, Goethe-Institut and Daisy with Rider bring alive a multi-sensory AI experience that takes viewers to a future that relives the past.

“It’s a science-fiction, anthropological concept that imagines what technology we create will become in another 50 years…Borges is my favourite author and he wrote a short story about The Library of Babel that contains every book that could be written. Poets, philosophers and religious scholars have tried to imagine where it came from, how large it could be. It’s a myth and it feels like a character. I love that and that’s what I wanted to do. I am also interested in AI and so I have expanded it,” shared Mika Johnson, creative director.

In the VR world
When you enter the Library at the Goethe-Institut, it may seem rather minimal visually but there is a lot to explore and in different ways. Keep your phone handy for the story of the Library unfolds through QR codes placed alongside jars on the shelves. The audio gives you information as you explore the game from one jar to another. The sub-libraries also bring to you stories of European alchemy (The Library of Elements), Polynesian navigation (The Library of Navigation) and South Asian shadow puppetry (The Library of Shadows is curated by Indian shadow puppetry expert Anurupa Roy).

“The major concept behind this is to introduce people to various forms of storytelling,” informed Subhasri Vijayakumar, head of information and library, adding, “Mika has conceptualised the library as an organism that introduces different knowledge systems.” For those who look for more immersion, there are VR experiences that transport you to these systems, including the central piece of the project, a VR library set in a cave. A truly mesmerising experience, the VR transforms your surroundings, opening a world to explore (to some dizzying after effects). “These are symbol systems which tell the three human stories that the library hosts in its collections. They can be infinite, but we begin with three. We are trying to use different storytelling motifs to show how language can evolve. Alchemy is not shareable in books, nor can shadow puppetry. You can read about it, but it will not capture it. We are using mediums to tell different kinds of stories,” Mika added.

Events galore
Along with the VR event, visitors on Wednesday also attended the long eve of VR with interactions from Akash Muralidaran, food designer and cofounder of Vizha, talking about Culinary Culture; Sanjana Ravi, textile designer and Priyadarshini Narayanan, graphic designer talking about Fabric, Dyes and Styles; Varsha Sivakumar, designer and founder of Paper Thundugal and Shikha Kumari, artist and curator of Artistick Ink speaking of Traditional Art For Contemporary Inspirations; and Thirupurasundari, founder of Nam Veedu, Nam Oor, Nam Kadhai, with Srishti Prabakar Nadathur, founder of Studio Anchored Hues and Afreen Fathima, founder of 98, discussing A City’s Influence on Art, Design and Heritage.

“If you are looking at heritage, a city, a language or any way of understanding something…these are the four ways in which you can understand a city (food, shelter, clothing and art). The point being how in-depth or holistically you are understanding. Basically, looking at the city from these points of view,” said Thirupurasundari about the collaborative curation. Upcoming is a shadow puppetry show by puppeteer, A Selvaraj of Dasavathaaram fame on September 24.

Booking is mandatory for full VR, contact bit.ly/vrinfinitechennai. Contact 28331645 for further details.

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