Cosmos Within Us
Tupac Martir & Satore Studio - “Cosmos Within Us”: 3 - 5 November 2021
On November 2021, in the Champalimaud Foundation's Auditorium, the multimedia artist Tupac Martir, in partnership with the Champalimaud Foundation, brought to the Portuguese public the awarded performance "Cosmos within Us".
Cosmos Within Us is a daring storytelling experiment blurring the boundaries between VR, performance, cinema, and music. Through a combination of state-of-the-art tech, immersive soundscapes, scent, and touch, the groundbreaking piece, directed by Tupac Martir, explores the intricate connection between memory and the senses.
This story draws us inside the mind of Aiken, a 60-year-old man desperately trying to hold on to his childhood memories. Aiken suffers from Alzheimer’s—and his struggle is one against a dwindling mind, against time, against final loss.
As Aiken wanders through the spaces of his past, they shape-shift as if in a state of constant reconstruction inside his fragmented brain. He relives time spent during summer holidays with his beloved little sister, Lily, and meaningful family moments—but those fond memories feel tainted. There is something at the very back of his consciousness, concealed in oblivion, waiting to be relived and refelt. This is the one memory he’s trying to forget…
Alzheimer’s does not discriminate. This piece was created to deliver a sense of hope and understanding to anyone affected by this very common and devastating disease. With advancements in VR, we strive to remember the forgotten.
A co-production between Satore Studio, aBahn, and Satore Tech, Cosmos Within Us premiered at the 76th Venice Film Festival in 2019. It was also recognised for its immersive storytelling at the 27th Raindance Film Festival, winning the prestigious “Spirit of Raindance” award and a Producers Guild of America Award nomination.
This performance was integrated in the "Bridges to the Unknown - Crossing Art with Science", the Champalimaud Foundation's cultural programme which aims to create new links between technology, science and art.
