The Life and Times of G

Film Synopsis

The Life and Times of G is a single channel version of an immersive four screen video installation that explores the tension between two opposing modes of technology and cognition. Inspired by Ursula Franklin’s concepts of holistic and prescriptive technologies, the piece examines how adaptive, individual-centered processes contrast with rigid, conformity-driven systems that increasingly shape human experience. The work layers this with Iain McGilchrist’s exploration of the brain’s left and right hemispheres, drawing parallels between the dominance of the analytical, prescriptive left hemisphere and society’s shift toward mechanization, control, and efficiency. The central character, G, is portrayed by two dancers, representing these opposing forces within both the mind and technological systems. Their movements, choreographed to embody both the freedom of holistic thinking and the constraints of prescriptive systems, take place against shifting landscapes of natural and industrial environments. The dancers’ costumes, made from discarded consumer goods, accumulate throughout their journey.