Where The Wild Might Be

about the piece

The installation Where The Wild Might Be explores the phenomenon of cryptids. Cryptids are creatures whose existence is supported only by weak and doubtful evidence, yet they have managed to find a place in humanity’s cultural memory. These beings appear particularly in early myths and stories. The field that studies them is known as cryptozoology. There are frogmen, swamp monsters, and all kinds of hybrid creatures. The emergence of these beings can be seen as an attempt to understand the unknown through fictionalization, thereby neutralizing its threatening nature.

Often dismissed as superstition, the perspective on cryptids shifts when one considers that nearly 86 percent of all plant and animal species on land and 91 percent of marine animals have yet to be named. This means the Earth is full of cryptids still waiting to be discovered.

Whether these beings actually exist is not the point—what matters is what they reveal about ourselves. In light of the current state of the planet and the crises we are facing, cryptids play an intriguing role in dissolving the hierarchies between different realities. One example of this is the progress in artificial intelligence, which is disrupting our sense of time through the discovery of ancient languages and artifacts.

A similar phenomenon can be observed in the scientific field: resurrection researchers are currently bringing back dodos and mammoths, or thawing out Paleolithic worms.

The emergence of generative AI is accelerating this process, as it enables the visualization of speculative organisms based on already known life forms. There is probably no cryptid that AI can’t imagine. This ability will vastly expand—and alter—our visual imagination.

The project is a collaboration between 3D artist Martin Böttger and Christoph Winkler. The starting point was a dance-based meditation on the movement of cryptids. From this emerged numerous motion capture recordings that form the foundation for the 3D modeling. Generative image-based AI models were also used as inspiration. The result is a series of short sketches of speculative lifeforms based on dance.

videos

credits

Concept: Christoph Winkler | Dance: Christoph Winkler | 3D artist: Martin Böttger