LIMINAL BEINGS (2023) BY SHUREE SARANTUYA
Experimental short film – 12 Min
Experimental (out of bounds) walking simulator
Made with Unreal Engine 5.0.3 and Blender 3.0.2
Liminal beings – exist at the threshold between two realms or states of being, challenging our perceptions of reality and morality with fluid identities.
Sedentary – refers to a lifestyle characterized by remaining in one place or not having a nomadic lifestyle.
Techno-nomads – nomadic tribes that live with technology.
Re-nomads – an urban population that are voluntary/involuntary nomadic.
Project Synopsis:
The Liminal Beings project takes a detailed look at the homes of techno-nomads, re-nomads, and those who lack a permanent home. The work showcases 11 distinct homes of liminal beings who exist in a state somewhere between the traditional notions of nomadic and sedentary lifestyles. Made with Unreal Engine 5 and available as both a film and a walking simulator, this project seeks to transport viewers to a half-immersive, out-of-bounds environment that offers a liminal visual and auditory. The main characters of the project are different types of homes: whether it’s a vehicle, caravan, tent, yurt, teepee, skip, shed, or even a backpack, liminal beings highlight how any available resources can be transformed into a home.
The project’s next goal is to create a virtual map that showcases all or some of the homes that have been depicted so far. The map will essentially be a collection of multiple terrarium-like rooms that will each contain a home and its environment. It’s important to note that Liminal Beings is not solely focused on the interior, but rather simulates the audience’s feeling of not being invited or the feeling of waiting to be included. “Liminal Beings” film narrates the story of the liminal homes through the children’s short story “Three Little Pigs”. As for the virtual map it is also planned to be included either in the audio or visuals.
The liminal beings have different forms: film, animation, video game, and terrarium. This project is part of a liminal practice of fluidity that can fill and occupy any space.
-Is home a place or space?
Home is a concept that extends beyond the traditional notion of a physical dwelling. Nomads view a home as a habitable land rather than a fixed structure. A nomadic home is tied to a sense of mobility and freedom, rather than a specific address or set of possessions. Over the last few decades, the remaining nomadic groups have been eager to embrace modernity. This rush towards progress has led to a technological transformation for these “techno-nomads,” who now utilize the latest devices and technologies to live self-sufficiently with clean energy and maintain their connection to the outside world without sacrificing their nomadic lifestyle.
As urbanization and economic pressures continue to grow, the traditional idea of home is becoming increasingly difficult for many individuals. This has resulted in a poverty-driven re-nomadization of sedentary people, particularly in hyper-urbanized areas. Many “re-nomads” in urban areas have been forced to adapt and rewild in spaces such as parking lots, under bridges, and between highways.
-Who is a big bad wolf?
“Once upon a time, there were three little pigs. One pig built a house of straw while the second pig built his house with sticks. They built their houses very quickly and then sang and danced all day because they were lazy. The third little pig worked hard all day and built his house with bricks.”
-What is the opposite of being modern?
-What materials would you like to build your home?
-What is the difference between the houseless and the homeless?
-How can someone access education and health care without an address?
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