Yunge Shi

BA Art and Design

Aether was considered by the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle to be the fifth element besides water, fire, air and earth. It is an invisible substance that exists in the empty regions of the universe. During the 17th to 19th centuries, scientists and physicists used Aether as a medium to explain electromagnetic force, gravity and the motion of light, trying to prove its actual existence.

By drawing on the concept of the invisible Aether, this project seeks to visualise various forms of Aether and other unseen presences. The abstract digital paintings depict the incarnation of Aether, a romantic philosophical imagination from thousands of years ago, reconnecting with the universe and life through a personal perspective. The collision and fusion of different elements in the paintings symbolise the mystery and chaos of the universe, the invisible signal communication between beings, and the magnetic link between substances. The intersection of invisible signals and waves creates light, awakening the birth of different forms of self-awareness in the vast cosmic space.

This project wants to evoke conscious connections between individuals and remind people to feel and observe their relationship to everything in the world, even if those substances, consciousnesses, signals or energies are invisible.