About

Endless Return is an online rave series that takes interest in the concept of a virtual afterlife where souls transcend into a digital realm where they can exist forever. Life extends beyond the human realm into that of a virtual space and the rave is organised as a form of simulative experience for the mind to wander and explore possibilities for new futures.

Research

When it came to researching for visual elements to convey the idea of transcendental existence, two components came to mind. The first being a gate which then connects to the second component, an otherworldly realm.

Arc Gateways

Known across many religions and traditions, the arc is a commonly used symbol of transcendence as it represents a gate, separating 2 different areas. For one to traverse from one area to another, he would have to then travel through the gate.

Arcs can be seen in many places around the world. From man made monuments in India to the famous natural rock formation in China.

The Gateway to Heaven

Located in the heart of Zhangjiajie in China’s Hunan province at about 1500 meters above sea level lies the highest naturally formed arc in the world. Known as the Gateway to Heaven, visitors had to climb 999 steps to reach the majestic landmark. Studies has found that the arc initially existed as a cave until the year 263 A.D., when one side of the mountain’s cliff collapsed and formed a portal to heaven. Up till today, the actual reason behind creation of the cave still remains a mystery. But locals believe that it was made for holy reasons such as a transcendental gateway into a higher spiritual realm.

Higher Realm

In almost every religion, the belief of the existence of a spiritual realm is common. And that, every human transcends to some otherworldly place after they die. In Christianity, human souls are believed to transcend into Heaven, a place of eternal life, often graphically portrayed as a place amongst the clouds where people, dressed in white cloth, bask in the warmth of the sun as its ray shine through the gaps.

Up till today, no one really knows what “Heaven” looks like. But many individuals with near death experiences have painted out their experiences with entering the spiritual realm. Digging deeper, we came across Zdeněk Hajný, a surrealist Czech painter whose paintings have been claimed by many, to be identical to the visions they see during their near death experiences.

Zdeněk Hajný

Passed away in 2014, Zdeněk Hajný interest lies in painting surrealist landscapes that often share similarities with religious representations of spiritual realms. Over the years of his spiritual painting career, his works have been described by many as transcendental and spiritual as many individuals relate to them for spiritual reasons such as visual mantras.

Viewing the paintings evoked a sense of spiritual connection for many. The act of looking at them also felt like a form of astral projection as you lose yourself in his world of spiritualism. 

 Virtual Afterlife

Combining the two elements together, the tee symbolises the act of transcendence. The gate invites individuals to traverse into another realm where they can live forever and endlessly. In the case of the digital world today, many of us are already engaged in that. We create vast digital landscapes and avatars that represent ourselves. In these landscapes, our avatars roam forever. We engage in these acts of digital transcendence everyday. Unknowingly we replicate identical versions of ourselves and project them into these virtual spaces where “we” can exist indefinitely.

It is synonymous with Endless Return’s concept of a virtual afterlife which represents a digital space where souls transcend to and where they can exist forever. Life extends beyond the human realm into that of a virtual space and the raves are organised as a form of simulative experiences for the mind to wander and explore possibilities for new futures. The tee therefore heralds individuals with its mystic charm, an escape portal from this material plane.

Presented by EdgeCut, Endless Return will be organising a virtual rave this Saturday I 10/10/20 on Nowhere , an immersive virtual augmented environment, in partnership with New York Live Arts . More details can be found on Endless Return’s Instagram page here