Sing, 2019

Sing (2019) explores the concept of parallel universes through the metaphor of the nest and its fragility. As a form, the nest is inherently layered. On Earth, it serves as a habitat for numerous species whose lives and social structures differ profoundly from our own. Beyond our “blue marble,” the nest reappears in science fiction as a place of incubation for unknown ‘others’, often imagined as unsettling in their indifference to human existence.

 

Following a residency in the Amazon rainforest, Symons became captivated by the precarious suspension of yellow-rumped cacique nests, which hang above the surface of flooded forests. Their reflections in the water, mirroring the night sky, amplified the sense of otherworldliness and became a key influence in the development of this work.

 

In the exhibition Parallel Universe, these nest forms are suspended from the gallery ceiling. Embedded within their fragile materiality are superimposed reflections of the night sky, evoking the possibility of undiscovered multiverses while simultaneously reflecting our own.