Empty Space Gallery | Work In Progress Documentation

University In Ruins

An Archive of Cyclic Ruin

|Central Premise

Humans are a cruel and resilient species. We loop—history repeats. While the world around us changes, our fundamental destructive patterns do not. We repeatedly fall into the traps of Racism, Sexism, Tribalism, War, and Fascism. This installation’s central premise is that we compromise our human potential by mindlessly accepting cultural norms, religious doctrine, and community values.

The work posits an AGI (Artificial General Intelligence), free from this cultural influence, as a counterpoint, exploring the possibility that history repeats itself because we humans have willingly given up our autonomy and free will.

The current assault facing the university in the US today serves as the nexus for exploring these enduring ideas of societal compromise and cyclical decline.

|Installation Mechanics: Present & Speculative Future

One Physical Artifact

Pallet & Wrapped Books

A pile of books, wrapped in mostly opaque plastic, is set directly on a utility pallet. This is the only physical object the visitor encounters upon entering the empty gallery space, and is the portal to the rest of the installation.

XR Overlay & Archive

The installation uses XR technology to overlay the present with a speculative future, transforming the gallery into an archive of historical ruin. As the visitor moves through the room, the environment spawns 3D sculptures of decaying

university buildings.

Interaction & Revelation

The visitor's movement triggers XR shifts and localized audio/visuals, revealing fragmented documents, historical artifacts, and repeating timelines. This spatial interaction is designed to reflect the cyclical, non-linear nature of human culture that inevitably leads to ruin and cruelty.