Abiogenesis by Sofia Malemina
Video Installation May 24 2025
Intro
Sofia Malemina is a London-based multimedia artist who blends video and audio engineering, virtual reality experiences, and interactive installations to probe the boundaries between technology and perception.
In her installation Abiogenesis, she draws on the idea of “life’s origin” and, in a poetic way, reveals a process: how the things we can perceive gradually emerge from states that were once invisible and intangible.
By weaving together VR environments, dynamic video loops, and immersive soundscapes, Malemina invites audiences into a living system of continual birth, decay, and rebirth—where reality itself is co-created through presence and attention.
Abiogenesis
The Abiogenesis artwork transcends the physical confines of the gallery space, delving into biological theories that conceptualise the origins of life. Inspired by Alexander Oparin’s 1924 theory of abiogenesis, which describes the formation of the first inanimate building blocks of existence, in other words the Primordial soup.
The piece reimagines and investigates existential cycles of change and evolution through artistic symbolism and augmented reality. Natural forces such as water and wind waves, merge with esoteric elements drawn from prehistoric mythologies, symbolising themes like power, regeneration, and renewal. Microelements are used to signify the complexity of the human mind, contrasting against the vast scale of universal processes. The installation emphasises viewer interaction through carefully orchestrated frequencies, visual illusions, and transitions, creating a cohesive interplay between natural forces and abstract forms.
This ephemeral, cyclical process draws attention to inception itself: a paradoxical state that cannot be touched, seen, or captured, yet cannot be dismissed as nothingness. The starting point is elusive and momentary, yet it perpetually reappears as initiation unfolds within every moment.
From the Artist
“ In Abiogenesis, I created an environment that follows its internal logic, independent of the viewer. A person steps into a space already in motion — not to change it, but to encounter its natural processes. I no longer build spaces to control perception. Instead, I form environments with their rhythms and a breath of their own. As Abiogenesis travelled between different contexts, it continued to adapt and transform.
The viewer now ‘fits into’ an existing environment, rather than being positioned as its centre.”
Field of Perception
At the core of Abiogenesis lies the Field of Perception—a chamber that, at first glance, seems empty, yet hums with latent energy. Nothing in this space truly “starts” or “stops”—forms emerge, dissolve, and reemerge in a continuous loop that mirrors the fragile yet powerful birth of any perception.
Rather than breaking through emptiness, the audience aligns with these subtle rhythms, co-creating the work through presence and attention. In this living environment, transitions themselves become the substance of experience, inviting a sensory immersion that feels as fluid and organic as water or air in motion.
Outro
Ultimately, Abiogenesis is not a piece to be “interpreted and solved,” but an open portal of perception.
“In Abiogenesis, for those who linger, who ask questions, who allow the initial sensory impressions to settle, a deeper structure begins to unfold. The work becomes a gateway to a broader perception, inviting the viewer to form new neural and emotional connections, rather than simply consuming an aesthetic experience.” — Sofia
Credits
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More works on
Sepcial Thanks
Interpretation written by
Sensity Studio