The Eyes of the Many
The Eyes of the Many - Gli occhi dei molti
The Eyes of the Many, is an oblique contest entry to the Imago in Villa Competition – a call for Trompe-l'œil artworks in Castelnuovo Val di Cecina, Italy.
The work embodies the trickster spirit at the heart of the Trompe-l'œil genre and reinterprets it as a distributed public art experience dispersed throughout the village. While it is outside the direct scope of the competition, The Eyes of the Many is imagined as an adjunct to the Trompe L'œil mural project. It proposes a parallel experience that invites a playful and serendipitous discovery of the murals in the village – and the eyes of the many.
The Premise- The Recursive Gaze
We are the few among the multitudes on this planet – yet, our impact is outsized. As our narcissistic gaze grows stronger, we lose touch with our co-existence and the stewardship of a planet full of other beings... and other seeings.
Birds and bees, cats and dogs, elephants and mice, dragonflies, spiders and countless others are here with us in observation. The Eyes of the Many invites a reminder of this illustrious company into the Trompe l'oeil celebration of light, vision and illusions – a gentle acknowledgement that many eyes absorb the same light that bounces off the surface of everything around us.
The project turns the eye back upon itself – the object becomes the subject and vice versa. In a symbolic reminder of their presence, the work invites us to recall the multitude of non-human eyes in our midst – and also offers us a portal into their domains.
The Concept - Reciprocal Public Engagement
The Eyes of the Many is conceived as a deconstructed mural distributed throughout the village. Illustrations of the eyes of others are transferred onto ceramic tiles to be affixed in various locations throughout the town, inviting visitors into a playful exploration and serendipitous discovery.
In turn, each of the individual tiles reciprocally invites us into the creatures’ context through a QR code readable by a smartphone. The links transport us into an experience related to the creature’s world.
Seeing through the eyes of others is a play on the spirit of Trompe L'œil and gently surfaces the question 'Chi stiamo ingannando?' (who are we deceiving?). This distributed art project reminds us that we are not alone in our observations and experiences.
The Medium - Ceramic Tiles
Depictions of the eyes are illustrated with linework that echoes engraving, a method of illustration used for currency. The renderings will be transferred onto ceramic tiles using ceramic decals to create simple, durable, outdoor elements easily affixed anywhere. The tiles will be approximately 10x10 or 15x15 cm and could be produced with bullnose edges on 4 sides, or standard tiles could be placed within a minimalist stainless-steel frame.
The Experience - Portals into Other Worlds
A QR code in the corner of each tile acts as a portal. When scanned by a smartphone, the QR codes connect visitors to an anecdotal and serendipitous experience related to the creature's world. Poetry, images, video, music, live cams, facts and anecdotes – each portal leads to a unique and often oblique discovery.
The Placement - Distributed Artwork
The tiles would be placed throughout the village, affixed to nooks, crannies, walls, doorways and other locations as a distributed art project to be discovered and explored by curious visitors. Visitors' engagement in finding and identifying the tiles adds to their experience of other Trompe L'œil works, leading them through a wandering discovery of the village and its murals.
Mock-ups of placed tiles in the town.
The Eyes of the Many... Sample Tiles
The following collection of 12 tiles provides examples of the tiles and illustration treatment. The QR codes in these mock-ups connect to example content. The final content selection is to be further developed and curated.
Exploring the QR codes with a smartphone is encouraged – click to expand the individual tiles and scan the codes!
(Note: some sample links contain ads - final ad-free content to be sourced)
