A1: Laoguna#140456

LIVE ON “Memory Limbs”

After death, a custom among the Laugonan elite is to save the bones of the deceased. Through surgery, portions of this bone are then implanted in the living relatives, enabling them to carry around a piece of their loved ones.
A common implantation point is the shoulder, and these “memory limbs” are a source of comfort for those mourning the loss of their loved ones. Due to the cost of the procedure, it is only common among the elite, who view it as a necessary part of the grieving process.

Collaborators

Aaron Cooper
Rachel Victor
Joe Unger (Vision Card Writer)

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E5: Senshai Valley#142390

Tails are Birthed

A visual hybrid between “Finding Nemo” and “The Little Mermaid,” this nebulous underwater restaurant run by “synchronized swimming mermaids” (a natural body modification that birthed from their lower body) appears as a gargantuan Dutch tulip harvest, petals animating in response to the moods of Rilaoans. Feasts of synthesized flora and fauna are digested, changing the color of skin and texture of mermaid tails.

(Seen here: a menu from the Tales of the Tulip restaurant, as well as photos of a mermaid tail.)

Collaborators

Lucy McRae, Althea Capra, Pedro Curi, Henry Jenkins, Paul Jones, Geoffrey Long

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B2: The Narrows#140805

Sacrifice

Access to the catacombs requires a sacrifice. Once a sacrifice is given, riches can be achieved by working in the catacombs, but it comes at a price. You cannot leave the catacombs.

Collaborators

Will Groff, Brain Shapland, and Shane Liesegang

This is a storyboard of a Rilaoan sacrificial ritual.

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A1: Laoguna#140440

The Hands of a Sculptor

When Nara Leoni was born blind to arguably the richest and most influential family in Laoguna, a shift took place in the tradition.

In 1984, Nara Leoni was born to the Leoni Family, the wealthiest and arguably the most influential family in Laoguna. But, Nara was born blind. After a difficult childhood and learning to read and “see” with his hands, Nara became one of the most acclaimed sculptors of Riloa. After his death at the young age of 26, the Leoni family adapted the Laogunian tradition to better reflect his particular circumstances (exhibit 2). This led to a new era in Laogunian memorialization. Most famously, Jani Ara requested in his will that his whole head be memorialized, leading to a legal debate (Ara v. Riloan Supreme Court).

These hands were photographed with permission from the Leoni family.

Collaborators

Trisha Williams, and Spandana Myneni

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J9: Echo Canyons#140604

Base 16

A base where Plague Doctors are trained and set out on missions. The “Doctors”, really military men working for the government, wear prosthetic, hollow, and detachable limbs containing viles of a strain of the plague. The doctors then go to different checkpoints and pretend to give check ups, and inject the followers of Lao with the disease. This eliminates those for Westernization, Colonialism, and Political Resistance. This Way, the government can obviously better control their people.

Collaborators

Sunil Kalwani, Jonathan Knowles, Lynda Dorf, QiYuan Lu, Megan Elliot

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G7: Twin Vales#140955

hARTvest

Vales developed a prosthesis to facilitate harvesting crops on water and hillside. This device records the movements and translates them into artistic expressions the Vales enjoy watching in public. The outside world is interested in monetizing the prosthesis to measure production and increase efficiencies. The Vales don’t want commerce to interfere with their art.

Collaborators

Anne, Terry, Mohammed, Gigi, Amy, Amanda

There is a protest movement against the commercializing the device since it’s an art basis. The two protest graphics represent graffiti around Rilao that defends the pro and con.

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A1: Laoguna#140440

In Having New Eyes

The real voyage of discovery consists, not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.
-Marcel Proust

After the Quarantine and enactment of mandatory cremations of infected bodies, Laoguna developed the tradition of memorializing late relatives by keeping their eyes–an emblem of their souls. The departed Laogunian was thought to receive a new pair of eyes upon entering the afterlife. The process, called “sighting” has long since been derided by Riloans of other districts, calling Laogunians who follow the tradition “Hollowers” after the hollow sockets left behind.

The manner of storing them became more and more elaborate over time, as did the tradition of representing the personality and the class of the person through decorations on the urn. Eye preservation techniques also evolved over the ages, and few early artifacts from the plague era exist. Nowadays, experienced morticians in Laoguna provide packages for every price point, including urns carved with increasing levels of craftsmanship.

This artifact (exhibit 1) comes from the Tali family, belonging to Teo Tali who died on his 87th birthday in the year 1974. Photo taken with permission from Ela Nali, his granddaughter, in October 2014.

When Nara Leoni was born blind to arguably the richest and most influential family in Laoguna, a shift took place in the tradition.

In 1984, Nara Leoni was born to the Leoni Family, the wealthiest and arguably the most influential family in Laoguna. But, Nara was born blind. After a difficult childhood and learning to read and “see” with his hands, Nara became one of the most acclaimed sculptors of Riloa. After his death at the young age of 26, the Leoni family adapted the Laogunian tradition to better reflect his particular circumstances (exhibit 2). This led to a new era in Laogunian memorialization. Most famously, Jani Ara requested in his will that his whole head be memorialized, leading to a legal debate (Ara v. Riloan Supreme Court).

Collaborators

Trisha Williams, and Spandana Myneni

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J9: Echo Canyons#1403999

Echo Receptor

An implant acquired on the black market to assist communication between members of the D.O.L. (Disciples of Lao). Using the unique characteristics of the canyon walls, the slightest subauditory sound can travel great distances.

Collaborators

Joanne Kuchera-Morin, Noel Butta, Mark Montiel, Brandan Parkin, Anshul Pendse

Links, Media

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