This sensory artwork opens the gates to human perception of the familiar.
Crédits photos : Mante Elelueta et Danielius Šermukšnis
“What is like (to be)?” is a sensory and interactive artwork created by two Lithuanian artists who want to explore our perception of nature. They invite us to become a hybrid creature and use echolocation like a bat to explore a virtual environment. The two artists brings us to think about the familiar, the habit and the normal. “What is like (to be)?” is part of the selection of the Recto VRso immersive art festival (April 10-13, 2025).
The sound as primary sense
“What is like (to be)?” is a virtual reality (VR) installation imagined by two Lithuanian artists: Mante Elelueta and Danielius Šermukšnis. It’s an interactive artwork that invites the user to discover a virtual environment with their voice.
With a virtual reality headset and a Microsoft Kinect box tracking and sending data in real-time, the participant uses sound for guidance: it’s the principle of echolocation. “Similar to a bat, participants must rely on their voice to perceive and navigate their surroundings”, as the artists explain.
The sounds emitted by the user are captured by a microphone and transformed into light. Depending on their intensity, they make a virtual environment appear more or less clearly in the VR headset. At their side, the spectators can observe what the user is seeing on a screen TV. “Consequently, participants are prompted to question their understanding of what is familiar and unfamiliar in human existence. Can technology serve as the bridge connecting human intelligence and nature?”.
Become a hybrid creature
By replacing vision by sound, the artists wish to break the boundaries of the familiar and create new ways of experiencing the world. “The performance challenges participants to rethink their connection to their environment and the ways they make sense of it”, as the artists specify. Using sound to find their way suggests surprise for the participant, who must adapt and think in a different way.
The user goes through a transformative process and becomes a hybrid form between an animal and a cyborg. “What is like (to be)?” highlights the delicate interaction between humankind, technology and nature. The artists invite the spectators to ask themselves if the tools that distinguish us from other species can actually bring us closer to them. “The artwork celebrates chaos as a gateway to deeper understanding, curiosity, and transformation.”
One of the artists, Mante Elelueta, already explored the field of sound. She met Danielius Šermukšnis when they were both studying at the Vilnius Academy of Arts in Lithuania. After five years of work, their VR installation was exhibited last year for the first time at Ars Electronica in Austria.
The 2025 edition of the immersive art festival Recto VRso marks only its third presentation. It’s a privileged moment to discover a unique artwork that explores the links that exist between humankind and nature. Join us from April 10 to 13, 2025.
