Elli Maanpää's augmented reality art installation 'Monsters Under The Bed' premiered at Window Gallery Elli, Helsinki, 2023.
MONSTERS UNDER THE BED
3 acrylic paintings that open up as digital 2D animations by using AR (Augmented Reality)
Things are scarier when they lurk in the dark, and we don't know what they look like. Here are three monsters I found under the bed, whose great joy is to keep people awake at night. Eternama (fear of aging), Money Troll (fear of money), and Spotdoubt (fear of failure). Acrylic paintings come to life with augmented reality technology. Scan them with your smartphone using the free Finnish Arilyn app. Remember to turn on the sound. The exhibition has been supported by Arilyn & Kuvittajat Ry.
ART EXHIBITIONS | SCREENINGS
3.11.2023-14.1.2024 - Window Gallery Elli, Helsinki, Finland
AR art installation premiered at Window Gallery Elli, Helsinki, Finland, 2023.
Explore these three monsters in Maanpää's AR installation.
MONEY TROLL: fear of money
30 cm x 40 cm || 2023
In its hands, Money Troll wields a double-edged sword, poking at the restless sleeper from under the bed. On one hand, it serves as a reminder of the account balance and upcoming bills. On the other hand, it mocks the antics of billionaires, repeating clichés about how money corrupts.
After all, what is money but a tool to live life according to one's values and choices? If you manage to lure Money Troll out from under the bed, you can take away its power over your emotions and sleep soundly. Even though the Money Troll whispers, 'Money doesn't grow on trees,' when it kinda does. Banknotes are made of paper. So, take that, Money Troll. Come sleep next to us, where dreams are richer than any treasure.
Encounter 'Money Troll', representing the fear of money.
Introducing ETERNAMA: symbolizing the fear of aging.
ETERNAMA: fear of aging
30 cm x 40 cm || 2023
Eternama bears a face adorned with wrinkles, and shoulders bowed under the weight of aging. Despite being wise, with a thousand stories flickering behind her eyes, she has become so embittered that she has harnessed her wisdom for the purpose of intimidation.
Her heart is overshadowed by the fear of death and aging. These fears she unloads onto the restless sleeper, quietly lamenting, seeking solace from anti-wrinkle creams. Eternama laments how the days sneak past like sand in an hourglass, yearning for the times when everything was supposedly better.
Her heart is overshadowed by the fear of death and aging. These fears she unloads onto the restless sleeper, quietly lamenting, seeking solace from anti-wrinkle creams. Eternama laments how the days sneak past like sand in an hourglass, yearning for the times when everything was supposedly better.
The only way to quell Eternama's distressing thoughts is to gently lead her into the kind light of the present moment. Let's forget the past and the future. Let's live in the here and now. And that's how Eternama becomes a teacher of life's most precious lesson: that the quality of our moments outweighs the quantity of our years
SPOTDOUBT: fear of failure
30 cm x 40 cm || 2023
Spotdoubt sleeps under the bed from evening till morning and from morning till evening. Upon waking, it whispers to the one lying in bed, "Don't even try. You'll fail anyway. What would even the neighbor's cat think? So, don't even bother trying."
Spotdoubt has a touch of laziness. The fear of failure paralyzes a person. Why bother trying if success is doubted before even starting? It's easier to do nothing. Spotdoubt infects the unfortunate sleeper with its night-borne misfortune. They corrode the emotions and thoughts of a person, creating unevenness. Eventually, they prevent a person from trusting themselves and doing the things that matter.
By shining a spotlight on Spotdoubt, we realize that even he just wants to be seen and loved. When we direct our compassionate gaze towards Spotdoubt, we can embark on a journey of success together—fears notwithstanding.
Meet SPOTDOUBT, embodying the fear of failure.