Nancy Baker Cahill, a new-media artist, is set to debut her latest augmented-reality (AR) project, CENTO (2023), at New York's Whitney Museum of American Art. This site-specific AR artwork will be located in the Meatpacking District starting October 3. CENTO explores the interconnectedness between humans and nature and addresses the climate crisis with an ecosophical approach, which challenges the conventional separation of humans from the natural world.
The art installation features a mesmerizing chimeric creature, combining elements of mycelium, cephalopods, birds, and machines. Its creation was driven by the necessity for alternative ecological communities and enhanced communication methods in the face of climate challenges. Visitors can interact with CENTO through an app called 4th Wall, contributing to the creature's evolutionary development by adding one of 12 feathers, each with its own biological function. This unique project is the result of collaboration between Nancy Baker Cahill, the Whitney Museum, and several federal, state, and municipal agencies.
CENTO stands as the first interactive AR commission in the Whitney's history. The project has taken five years to come to fruition, partly due to drone flight restrictions in New York City, which were only recently addressed with a new permitting process announced by Mayor Eric Adams. The display aims to create a sense of ecological imagination, a living experiment to foster community-building and adaptability in a rapidly changing world. Through this augmented reality project, the artist explores the idea of creating evolutionarily resilient, transpeciated creatures, highlighting the necessity of interdependence among species in an era of ecological challenges.
