Becoming Red Dust 化身紅
Since the late 19th century, Mars has been trapped in our biased imagination, from canal myths to science fiction conquest. Becoming Red Dust rethinks this legacy, inviting us to look beyond data models. By shifting perspective to Mars’ tiniest inhabitant, its dust, the project imagines a future where even non-living matter gains narrative power.
Misinterpretations of Martian observations, like the so-called canals of the 1870s, created visions of alien civilisations and framed Mars as a place to conquer. Modern technology has corrected many illusions, yet our knowledge still depends on data and AI simulations. Reducing a planet to numbers risks creating distance instead of encouraging connection.
Becoming Red Dust invites us to identify with Mars’ most persistent element, its red dust. Seeing dust as an inhabitant offers a more intimate understanding of the planet. This speculative approach questions human-centered views and proposes a future of coexistence, where even non-living things can be storytellers and witnesses in a shared ecology. In this way, Mars becomes less a target for conquest and more a world to relate to.
Location: Bay 1, The Digital Hub
Exhibition Dates + Times: 6-22nd of November, Wednesday to Sundays, 12-6pm
Artist Name/s (Pronoun/s): Hung Lu Chan