Garden for Drowning Descendant, 2022-ongoing

Garden for Drowning Descendant is an experimental, interactive Mixed Reality installation on ecological collapse, interdependency, and extinction or survival by unexpected adaptation. Based on four distinct dreams about our descendants, it explores the emergence of collective action from the mixture of individual ones.

Garden for Drowning Descendant features drone footage from Trinidad by MX Oops, 360° footage from an aerial dance studio, interlinked 3D spaces, Motion Capture by British choreographer Kristen McNally, and particle systems made from elements found in Jane Bennet’s book Vibrant Matter: stem cells, fish oils, electricity, metal, and trash.

Eva Davidova uses the VR space to invent multiple possibilities for the future, at once threatening and beautiful. Within the dizzying 360° spaces staged by Davidova, performers—humans, avatars, digital objects, and the audience—dance. In search of new movements, Davidova collaborates with performers who are given open-ended prompts which are later augmented with digital objects. (read the full essay by Faith Holland here)

Garden for Drowning Descendant, an immersive installation and  VR piece by artist Eva Davidova premiered at Harvestworks Art and Technology Program on Governors Island, and since 2023 has been shown at the exhibition Tomorrows at  ROCO, Feeding Our Demons @ 1053 Gallery, Synthetic Narratives and other venues and festivals. It received a grant for completion from NYSCA Individual Artist Film, Media & New Technology Grant, and the Wave Farm NYSCA MAAF Award.

Creative Technologist: Sidney San Martin
Sound: Bergsonist (selwa Abd), Matthew D. Gantt and Dafna Naftali

Performers: MX Oops, Catherine Kirk, Vinson Fraley, Danielle McPhatter
Motion Capture files from Eve by choreographer Kristen McNally
Consultants: Danielle McPhatter, Wolfgang Gil, Johnny Lu, Matthew D. Gantt, Carol Parkinson

Team in Trinidad:

Director, Choreographer and Performer: MX. Oops
Camera: Arnaldo James
Location Scouting & Coordination: Jalaludin Khan

Team at green screen studio: RD Content

Developed at Triangle Arts Association
Funded by New York State Council of the Arts (NYSCA) Individual Artist Film, Media & New Technology Grant
With generous support from Harvestworks, NEW INC, EY Cognitive Human Enterprise, ISSUE Project Room, Lovely Lioness Dance Studio, and Allign Studio.