Intro

Ark of Life speculates on an end-of-life experience that immerses individuals in the contemplation of life and death. Inspired by the perpetual motion of natural elements — seeds germinating in forests, water coursing through oceans, and cells regenerating in the human body — it emphasizes interconnected cycles of birth, decay, and renewal. The experience invites participants to confront the inevitability of departure, encouraging a deeper appreciation of life, actions, and the ephemeral beauty of each moment.

World-building

Given the perpetual expansion of human activities, the impact on Earth's natural ecosystems is becoming increasingly severe. Advances in technology have enabled us to build toward outer space. Ark of Life proposes a network of vertical systems for life on Earth, through decades of continuous construction into the great beyond.

The program is composed of numerous units for the coherent articulation of its function and form. Each unit contains three levels of world structure.

⚓️ The lower world is a deep-sea environment consisting of water systems.
⚗️ The middle world is a DNA laboratory including the Tree, the Vessel, and sample experimental pools.

The Tree archives all the living species in its proximity by storing their DNA inside, a tribute to nostalgia, and a potential seed waiting to be activated into space. From a distance, the Tree resembles a linear timeline, embodying the life and death of species on Earth.
The Vessel stores data samples of all species in the Bubble cells, carrying the seeds of biomes that have the potential to be restored or expanded so that one day the Earth or other habitable sites and places can be filled with life again.

🌐 The upper world is located on a floating island with a teleportation interface. Thus users can connect to any unit (including itself) in the network through the interface.

Outro

I would like to introduce Donna Haraway's idea on composting. Donna Haraway suggests that when we face a 'damaged planet,' what we should focus on is not a doomsday narrative about the end of the world nor on reversing the Sixth Extinction with high technology. Instead, we should think about composting as an organic process of restoring the fertility of the soil. Composting thus signifies that the damaged planet still holds possibilities for life.