Solar Biennale 2 / From Solar to Nocturnal: Interspecies Interfaces

Matthew C. Wilson’s  Interspecies Interfaces (Part I) is the first chapter of a two-part film project, realized in a joint residency with Emilia Tapprest, which will unfold in two chapters presented in March and June. Focusing on newly evolving contact zones between bats, humans, and technology, the project introduces the concept of "other suns" to challenge the solar-centric hierarchy of perception. Just as the transition to solar and other energy sources requires new ways of thinking and designing, reimagining cultural and technological approaches to perceiving the more-than-human world also demands a shift. In their nocturnal world, bats’ use of echolocation—where sound, rather than light, serves as the primary signal for orientation—presents us with a different strategy for perceiving and interfacing with the environment.

From world-building technology and AI to interspecies sensory translation, the exhibition traces a narrative itinerary from solar to nocturnal, shifting from real-world scenarios to the exploration of alternative visions for how we act, perceive, and interact with our surroundings.