The Strange Life of Alis

The Strange Life of Alis explores the concept of empathy and connection between sentient beings, the importance and need for physical presence and reciprocity, and the loss of this aspect associated with death. A symbolic representation of an intelligent life form, the piece is composed of three main parts, fully dependent on each other in representing body, mind, and soul. It consists of a Micro Bit, a programmable, sensor-equipped device, coded to represent the conscience shaped by the inextricable union of body and mind. The helium balloon soul constantly pulls towards heaven, while the frail, mortal shell made of a box and wires keep it anchored to the transience of earthly life. The physical artifact is accompanied by a first-person short feature film, which tells the story of Alis through the eyes of a loved one and the display of significant parts of the programming code allowing the viewer to peek inside a soul, a longed-for yet forbidden element of human interactions.