Geomancy

Geomancy is a 3D animation video work that merges digital cin­e­matog­ra­phy and visual poetry in a fascinating exploration of the rela­tion­ships between technology and nature.

This immersive creation unfolds a fictional ecosystem where tech­no­log­i­cal­ly augmented entities coexist in harmony with a dynamic, constantly mutating nature. Drawing inspiration from science fiction, fantasy, and advanced digital tech­nolo­gies, the artist offers a critical and poetic vision of a world where technology and nature no longer oppose each other but intertwine.

The title of the work references geomancy, an ancient divinatory practice that involved inter­pret­ing patterns formed by earth, sand, or stones to predict the future or access hidden knowledge. Tra­di­tion­al­ly, geomancers read con­fig­u­ra­tions formed by drawn points or objects cast on the ground, estab­lish­ing a connection between earthly patterns and cosmic influences.

In Sybil Montet’s work, this ancestral practice is rein­ter­pret­ed through con­tem­po­rary tech­nolo­gies: AI and digital systems become the new inter­preters of earthly forces, trans­form­ing envi­ron­men­tal data into visual and narrative expressions. Thus, Geomancy creates a bridge between traditional knowledge and tech­no­log­i­cal innovations, offering a reflection on our ability to restore, through new means, a harmonious rela­tion­ship with our environment.

Sybil Montet, Geomancy (2024) is presented as part of the exhibition Hybrid Futures: Rhizomes, Meshworks & Alter-Ecologies, organised and produced by Elektron.
Curators: Vincent Crapon & Françoise Poos.

Sybil Montet
Geomancy
2024
Video essay — CGI animation, CGI physics simulations, poetry, live data, AI
12min/​infinite 
Com­mis­sioned by IFA — Are You For Real & HEK Basel

Concept: Sybil Montet
Production: IFA Visual Arts, HEK Basel
Creative technician: Sybil Montet (CGI, text, AI voiceover)
Phil Rohr (programming, AI, web), Pavel Seldemirov (touch designer and interactive scenography supervision)
Musical score: Davor Bokhari (Dark0)
AI voice-over sound design: Jordan Pereira (Crowd187)