Concept

Inspired by the mythology of Narcissus, the mixed reality work Narcissus Bug creates a subconscious twilight zone where the boundaries between different versions of “you” begin to blur. This interactive experience invites visitors to traverse multiple layers of reality and selfhood, examining how various mediums and interfaces—physical, corporeal, virtual, sensual, mental, psychological, spiritual, and beyond—mediate and reshape our understanding of identity. Within this liminal space, you encounter a spectrum of “selves”: the Id, the Ego, the Superego, each fluidly shifting between archetypes—beast, human, and deity—while offering distinct perspectives on desire, control, and transcendence.

Installation Plan

This interactive installation invites visitors to immerse themselves in a unique narrative and environment.

On one wall, an animated projection depicts the story of a person who uses a sensory-enhancing device to inhabit a microorganism living on their clothing and embarks on a surreal journey to worship their own head. The floor projection transforms the giant’s fabric textures and skin patterns from the animation into a microcosmic landscape. At the center of this projection is a circular area displaying the live scanning visuals of a dermoscope.

Visitors step into the space and approach the circular center, where they can interact with a dermoscope device suspended from the ceiling. Encased in a 3D-printed shell resembling a narcissus flower, this device symbolizes the sensory probes from the giant’s headset in the animation. By scanning their skin or clothing, visitors trigger real-time visuals projected onto the floor. Within this projection, two microorganism characters, mirroring the visitor, appear to walk and move across the visitor’s “body.”

Depending on the size of the exhibition space, reflective mirror materials may be integrated into the wall projection. Positioned over the animated giant’s face, these mirrors allow visitors to see their own reflections, blending their identity with the giant’s visage and creating a layered interplay between self and narrative.

The projection method can be adjusted based on the venue’s guidelines. For example, the projection could be inverted: Projector 2 could be installed on the floor, casting the micro-view animation onto the ceiling. Visitors would then lie on the floor to watch the animation while interacting with the dermoscope on their skin or clothing—resembling a person performing an ultrasound scan on themselves.

The dermoscope will be decorated with a 3D-printed shell which resembles a narcissus.

A prototype of the floral shell.

Animation (Work-in-progress)

The animation on the wall:

Future plan: details will be refined; animation will be re-edited; Music will be adjusted according to scenes.

The mixed reality video on the floor:

Future plan: more textures will be added to the “landscape“； more animation will be added to the avatars; the camera will be repositioned.

A projection mockup.

Curaxuan is an art studio established in New York State in 2020 and is currently based in Madison, WI. Through our creative practice in game art, interaction design, curating, editing, and writing, we explore gender identity, feminism, and the ways social norms shape contemporary issues, while highlighting countercultural and even non-human perspectives.

In our design fiction The Foolish Old Man Project, a female-like AI transforms her male-like companion into a rib during their research trip to study a fallen civilization.

Our in-development video game Go Groundshel! reflects societal constraints on women’s roles in public and private spaces. Instead of following a traditional hero’s conquest, the protagonist’s journey prioritizes self-discovery and personal agency. Her urgent need to find and fix a toilet becomes a metaphor for the struggle for bodily autonomy.

Similarly, this participatory installation, Narcissus Bug, invites visitors to immerse themselves in a nuanced environment and an anti-patriarchy narrative, encouraging them to reconsider the values shaped by conquest and its extended egos.

Whether through fiction, fairy tales, mythology, games, or immersive experiences, our work explores speculative feminism—reimagining female roles and possibilities in contemporary and near-future worlds.

Credit

Art Director and Producer: Rashel Ruixuan Li; Interaction Design: Yuehui Du; Animation: Laura Yang; Music: Siyi Chen.