Si Cheng

The octopus is a highly intelligent creature. Due to its complex nervous system and flexible tentacles, the octopus is considered the animal with the greatest potential to establish an underwater civilization.

This is prevented by the octopus’ reproductive strategy. These animals only reproduce once in their lives; After mating, the male dies and the female lays a large number of eggs. Afterwards, the mother abstains from food and guards the eggs by constantly moving her tentacles to supply the eggs with oxygen. Shortly before the young hatch, the mother also starves to death. The passing on of memory, experience and knowledge becomes impossible – the same story always repeats itself.

In “Lost Memories,” organic foam shapes symbolize the body of the octopus sinking to the sea ground. The thin materials of the eggshells made from handmade Kozo paper react extremely sensitively to air currents. Even the movement of air from passing spectators causes them to sway gently, similar to the movements of their mother’s tentacles. This interaction is a reminder that without intergenerational memory, our civilization might be lost – as with our intelligent sea creatures.