Yotam Sivan (He/Him)

Drawing on Carlo Collodi’s 1883 Children’s novel, ‘The Adventures of Pinocchio’, this work explores our idea of what defines a thing as being alive rather than an object. Just like how Jeppetto re-animated a wooden puppet Pinocchio, I attempt to “re-animate” the body through different cross-medium processes. Starting with a full sized 3D scan of a human figure (a process which translates a three dimensional shape onto a digitized mesh) I manipulated the model, flattened it, and then attempted to “re-inflate” it into a new body. The process is purposely done using a simulation of a real-life process called Hydro-Forming- a method of mass-producing sheet metal parts by inflating them in a mold using pressurized liquid. In ‘Pinocchio’ the inflation is a “breath of life”, transforming a flat surface into a three dimensional object.

In addition to exploring biological and social definitions of “alive”, this work explores the digital space as a potential incubator for the imagination. Both in what life is, and prospective ideas of how digital media can be considered on its own merit – as a new and different plane of existence. One that offers the non-human perspective and applies it towards its own version of reality. The project was chosen for ‘The Mass Collection’ July 2021 publication, and was also picked for the cover of the issue. I am very happy with this work and would like to experiment with actual Hydroforming. I believe the result of this manipulation is successful both visually and conceptually. There is a good balance between the original human form and the new metallic being, which evokes the uncanny, while encouraging a fresh gaze on the human form.