Eyes Wide Shut

Eyes Wide Shut is an immersive and thought-provoking installation that challenges perceptions of reality through shadow, light, and materiality. Exhibited at the Science Museum Lates, this interactive piece draws inspiration from Plato’s Allegory of the Cave, questioning how we construct knowledge and whether our eyes were ever truly open.

At its center stands a life-sized sculpture of a man pointing—crafted entirely from recycled waste. A single flashlight projects its silhouette onto the wall, transforming discarded materials into a seemingly solid human figure. Yet, as visitors interact with the piece—moving the light source or adding their own waste—the illusion shifts. Shadows distort, the figure mutates, and, at times, the image changes entirely or remains eerily unchanged, highlighting the fragile nature of perception.

The installation invites participants to step into the role of Plato’s prisoners, sitting beneath the projection and engaging with the shifting shadows. In certain angles, the figure’s shadow even takes on monstrous forms, emphasizing the power of perspective. The piece is both an exploration of illusion and a commentary on waste, transformation, and the unseen forces shaping our understanding of the world.